Abstract
This study investigates the stylistic and thematic dimensions of Hausa musical art as a vehicle of social communication, focusing on the songs of Dauda KahutuRarara and Alhaji Mamman Shata. It examines how both artists employ language, proverbs, repetition, and slogans to convey moral, social, and political messages. Adopting a qualitative stylistic approach, the research analyzes six selected songs, Shata’s Alhaji Mai Kudi, Mutum Da Sana’a, and Garin Allah; and Rarara’s Aikin Gwamnati, Buhari Ya Dawo, and Masu Gudu Su Gudu. The analysis draws on the Leech and Short (2007) model of stylistic categories, exploring the linguistic and literary techniques embedded in the artists’ works. Findings reveal that both musicians employ distinct stylistic strategies to use music as a tool for instruction, mobilization, and reform. Shata’s style is grounded in traditional wisdom and moral reflection, characterized by the use of proverbs, repetition, and imagery to promote ethical values and communal harmony. Rarara, on the other hand, employs repetition, slogans, and political idioms to achieve persuasion, solidarity, and ideological influence within the modern Nigerian political landscape. Thematically, both artists address issues of morality, leadership, integrity, and social responsibility, though from different generational and contextual perspectives. The study concludes that Hausa music functions as an enduring medium for social education, political commentary, and cultural preservation. By combining artistry with advocacy, both Shata and Rarara exemplify how oral musical traditions adapt to new social realities while retaining their communicative power.
Keywords: Hausa music, Mamman Shata, Rarara, social commentary, stylistics.
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i03.031
author/Abdurrahman Sulaiman
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 1(3) | December 2025 |
