Abstract
Close to the end of 2019, COVID-19, an infectious disease that still wreaks havoc, was discovered in Wuhan – China. The pandemic has become a major worldwide health problem to date. Its socioeconomic and cultural aftermaths have dominated the world’s public discourse. Media and literary artefacts reflect the ongoing debate, education, and communication regarding the pandemic. This paper examines how popular songs represent multiple (social-cultural, economic, and political) perspectives regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania. The article focuses on secular and religious song lyrics to ascertain how they convey multiple perspectives regarding an understanding of COVID-19, and whether such views might educate an audience. By drawing ideas from the notion of intertextuality, we argue that Tanzania’s popular songs are a repository of multiple perspectives, which mirror scientific and political views, beliefs, and rumours Tanzanians share regarding COVID-19. We further contend that such songs are a platform through which clashing and conflicting ideas related to COVID-19 manifest, and that through which the audience becomes aware of various ideas and issues related to the pandemic, especially in Tanzania.
Recommended Citation
E. Spemba, Spemba
(2023)
"Intertextuality and Narrativization of Multiple Perspectives: COVID-19 Pandemic in Popular Songs in Tanzania,"
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences: Vol. 11:
No.
1, Article 4.
DOI: 10.56279/jhss.v12i1/1
Available at:
https://commons.udsm.ac.tz/jhss/vol11/iss1/4
Included in
Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons, Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons