Representing Death in Song-poems: The Example of Robert Ebizimor's Popular Music

Abstract

This paper examines how death is designated among the Izọn people in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, in their popular music. The motivation is that there have been no significant attempts by scholars to investigate the music from this consideration to bring fresh perspective to the discourse of death as a literary theme. The paper analyses moral and religious ideas build around death, in order to highlight their contribution to the thematic import of the music. The paper uses the qualitative method to analyse the lyrics/song poems extracted from two music tracks by Robert Ebizimor. This is enhanced by the sociological functionalist theory which seeks to interpret the roles of cultural practices and activities carried-out by a society. The paper concentrates on death at ripe time, arguing that death is valued and celebrated, in terms of longevity and the usefulness of life lived. These aspects are thoughtfully linked with the moral and religious significance of an individual’s death. Conclusively, the paper reiterates that death is a necessary end, which offers the living rare moments for moral and religious edification, to better the society; a reason death continues to feature as a powerful and relevant literary theme.