Stylistic Analysis of Kabras Folk Songs

Abstract

This study sought to identify the prominent features of style in Kabras folk songs and how they affect the interpretation of Kabras folk songs in the framework of Prototype Theory and Relevance Theory. Through oral interview to the respondents and analysis of specific Kabras folk songs, the researcher finds that the prominent features of style in Kabras folk songs are: neologism, code-switching, symbolism, metaphor and allegory. The interpretation of Kabras folk songs varies depending on gender and age of the people in the society. While the elderly people are overwhelmed with symbolism and allegory, middle-aged, youths and children are carried away by neologism and code-switching. Metaphors cut across all the songs. Without these features of style, the message of the songs cannot be precisely conveyed to various genders and ages of the audience. However, some features of style including symbolism and hyperbole hinder the youth, children and some middle aged women from interpreting the message of some songs such as code 12 and code 8. This is an implication that to drive the message home to a particular age and gender of people, a certain feature of style has to be employed. To exclude some people from your conversation through songs you are dictated by a particular aspect of style. Metaphors and symbolism are found to cut across all the selected folk songs. Therefore they are the most prominent features of style in Kabras folk songs. The prominent folk songs are code 2, 10 and 11 because they have most funs and have all the five prominent features of style. The songs are preferred because the artists have exploited figurative language which the community embraces. The Kabras community is fond of criticizing the societal evils through singing of folk songs. The folk song with apt use of figurative language is highly acceptable rather than the one without figurative language which is rejected by the audience because it causes embarrassment to the audience mixed ages and gender. This community struggles for face saving.