Voicing their perceptions: Swazi women's folk songs

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore one way through which Swazi women voice their perceptions of themselves in relation to patriarchal values in Swaziland. The folk songs analysed in this article are composed orally and are passed down orally from one generation to the next. They belong to society and remain the property of society. Some members of society may use them for their own economic benefit. The songs to be analysed are those that relate to the themes of love, marriage, disappointment and challenge to patriarchal values. These songs are composed and sung with the intention of celebrating the pleasures of love within the institution of marriage. However, the same songs contain elements of satire which give them the potential to be used as “spears” for fighting for social justice and change in society.

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