Elements of Folkism in “Banuso” Song by Olawale Ashimi.

Abstract

The use of didactic lyrics accompanied by folklore to convey different cultural norms to the audience is a Common feature in the music of some Nigerian music artists. This accounts for different interpretations And concepts based on the socio, economic and political realities of the society that consumes the music. The use of proverbs, oral poetry, and traditional musical instruments has been identified with musicians, Like Hubert Ogunde, Jimi Solanke, Tunji Oyelana, and in recent times with popular musicians like Bisade Ologunde popularly known as “Lagbaja”, Seun Kuti, Olusegun Akilolu popularly known as “Beautiful Nubia and many more. Some scholars argue that the use of intricate language in popular music elevates its artistic value, while Others believe it alienates certain audiences. Consequently, joining the discourse, this study examines the Features of folkism in Banuso, a song by Olawale Ashimi. This study adopts the qualitative research method via the instrument of descriptive and content analyses, As well as the instrument of interview. By analytical approach, the song, Banuso by Olawale Ashimi is Subjected to detailed examination of the tenets of folkism while descriptive approach is used to carefully Inspect and explain how Olawale Ashimi employs folkism in his music. To gather pertinent information, Interview with two Ifa priests, Ifatoye Ramoni and Ifatunde Adebisi was conducted. The study adopts Karolina Kizinka’s (1995) socio-musicology theory to foreground its discourse. Academic materials such As books, journal articles, and internet sources serve as our secondary source of data. The song Banuso by Olawale Ashimi can be described as a contemporary folk music. Consequently, this study reveals different tenets of folkism such as oracular poetry, use of proverbs, use of Indigenous language and appropriate use of traditional musical instruments in the production of the song Banuso. It is also discovered that the use of these elements aim at bringing music and society into an Alignment demonstrating how music and society converge and influence each other in social, historical, And political contexts. This study concludes that the impact of musicians in the preservation of cultural artifacts and Values cannot be underestimated. The artist should be held in high esteem as an agent who influence Society and rapidly produce the change society desperately craves. This paper recommends that music Artists should not neglect the aspects of philosophy and folk traditions in order to connect more with their Audience and make positive social impacts. Also, critics should not be shy about calling out musicians That are not contributing to the values of society, while the government and musical bodies should pay More attention to what is released into the mainstream in the aspect of music.