Igbo funeral songs: Exploring their major themes

Abstract

Death, transition and other related terms are used by various human societies to communicate the ending of all formal functions and processes in the life of a living organism. When death occurs, it causes an emotional outburst which people express in forms of chants, recitations and dirges. In most parts of Africa, the death of an adult member of the society goes with the rendition of some songs in honour of the deceased and to contemplate on death as a natural phenomenon during the funeral. The Igbo of South Eastern Nigeria, through funeral, send off the deceased solemnly as she/he was welcomed at birth. The essence of this is captured in Igbo cosmic thought and in many funeral songs. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to identify some strands of meaning which most Igbo funeral songs convey and to also highlight their basic thematic constructs. The paper applied expository and analytical methods of research for data collection. It then observed that Igbo funeral songs have a clear identifiable purpose because in them are expressed different phases of grief and they serve valuable purposes in the various Igbo communities where they are rendered.