Abstract:
Even though oral tradition serves as a manifestation of a peoples’ collective memory, African oral tradition and performance is under threat of being subsumed by forces of globalization, urbanization and to some extent, migration. As such, royal praise singing which used to be a crucial element in oral performance, is on the decline and often disregarded in the age of globalization. Music that tends to employ modern/western musical instruments is favored while royal praise singing and oral performance in general, are marginalized (Adamu 2008). This paper examines royal praise singing from Katagum Emirate in Azare, Bauchi State, with a view to analyzing how it is able to resist the forces of globalization and urbanization in the 21st century. The study argues that, the royal praise singing from Katagum Emirate is able to survive today due to the impact of media. Technology makes it easier to collect, preserve and transmit royal praise songs in the Emirate. Royal praise singing from Katagum Emirate has improved today with the advent of technology/media. Audience record these songs via mobile devices and later share them to the public through social media platforms and other online sharing networks. Thus, contributing to not only the preservation of royal praise singing but also globalizing the African oral art form in general.
DOI: 10.36349/djhs.2026.v04i01.010
author/Fatima Muhammad, PhD and Muhammad Nasir Muhammad
journal/Dundaye JOHS, July 2026
