Wedding Songs Entwine Souls: Applying Ethnomusicology in the Didactic and Pedagogical Dimensions of AmaXhosa Wedding Songs

Abstract

The amaXhosa wedding songs possess didactic and pedagogical dimensions, thereupon evidencing their relevance far beyond the entertainment component. A notable literature review indicates the instructional and educational value of these songs in various African and global contexts, especially in indigenous communities. Having said this, their scholarly examination remains of scholarly concern. With this view in mind, this article aims to uncover the didactic and pedagogical dimensions of three preferred amaXhosa wedding songs. Phenomenology, as a qualitative research technique, is deployed to recognise and appreciate the three amaXhosa wedding songs as sources of data, while ethnomusicology is applied as a theoretical framework. This implies that the two research techniques—phenomenology and ethnomusicology—operate in a symbiotic relationship. The principal findings and discussions are indicative that amaXhosa wedding songs are instrumental in conveying social and cultural expressions for the duo or marital family, while in contrast, they serve as a preservative tool for cultural legacy. Inevitably, it stands to reason that several indigenous wedding songs are critiqued in a bid to unearth covert meanings.