A DIACHRONIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED TIV SONGS: A STUDY OF TARKERGOLOZO, PEVIKYAA ZEGI, ZULE ZOO AND CAIRO EGYPTIAN

Gbilekaa Kurayol Richard
Department of Theatre Arts,
College of Education, Katsina-ala,
Benue State.

Abstract
The Tiv songs of the late 1970’s to mid-1980’s had clear focus with clear lyrics that
targeted towards the dissemination of specific messages that could shape the society
Tas well as help humanity to think positively. The songs of this period were educative
and didactic, aimed at character reformation to fashion a better tomorrow. However, as society develops, so does humanity also develop in perception and ideas. The period between the early 1990’s and the recent years marks a sharp deviation from the earlier songs that were composed in Tivland. One distinctive attribute of the songs of the recent period is that they are built on domestic and social life of the Tiv people. The songs, most often, are erotic. This paper takes a periodic approach and looks at songs of some selected Tiv oral poets; Tarker Golozo and Pevkya Zegi and compars them with the recent songs of Zule Zoo and Cairo Egyptian (Uzaghir). The paper adopts the quantitative methodology covering semi-structural oral interviews. Focus ground discussion (FGD) and content analysis will be used for the paper because songs chosen have to be analysed and transcribed in detail. The findings from this study are that as society progresses, ideas and thinking also develop. The gradual changes in socio-cultural values cut across the nooks and crannies of the society, bring a lot of innovations and changes in all facets of human life. The Tiv oral poet is not left out as most songs composed in the recent time do not tally with the songs composed in the olden days. The paper observes that despite the increase in moral decadence, occasioned by the emergence of globalization, the songs analysed carry messages that are targeted at specific the audiences.