CONVERGENCE OF TRADITIONALISM AND MODERNISM: THE ART OF IGBO ORAL POETRY, TRANSLATION AND PRINT RECORDING

Abstract

The traditional oral poet recounts works of art that predate the artist; nevertheless, he or she is capable of creating a new vision through the insightful use of language and plot to produce special effects, including the projection of new ways of life. Similarly, in recording and presenting works collected from the oral artist, the fieldworker is capable of recapturing the art of the oral poet, provided that greater rigour is infused into the print-recording process. The present paper demonstrates the following. First, the Igbo oral poet is both a cultural bearer and a pivot of modern, contemporary values. The collective body of verses that express the cultural realities of the people did not end with the introduction of Western-based education; hence, there is a need for closer attention to post-Western oral forms in order to encourage the creative spirit of the artist. Second, if we view the fieldworker or print recorder as a knowledge-seeker who depends on productions collected from the oral poet for the presentation and analysis of society from diverse perspectives, then the live recording sessions between the two also represent a convergence of traditionalism and modernism. Finally, faithful recording requires the ability of the recorder to render in print what is intelligible to the reading audience, paying special attention to nuances of pronunciation, grammar, local idioms, and meaning. These elements should accurately represent the language of the original performance and its communal authorship.