Exploring Rivalry Songs as Reflections of Power Struggles in Polygamous Households in Africa: The Yoruba Paradigm

This study examines the socio-cultural context of rivalry songs as a reflection of power struggles within Oyo-Yoruba polygamous households in Africa, aiming to identify their textual content, effects on polygamous households, and musical influences. The rivalry songs have some negative implications on polygamous families, and all forms of songs examined are performed in the Yoruba language of the Oyo dialect, and they are in vocal music in song form. All the songs are unaccompanied due to the context in which they are used and the spontaneous functions they perform in a polygamous household. All songs have satirical text themes that are directly or indirectly sung to abuse, criticize, or provoke a rival co-wife married to the same husband. The study has implied qualitative research by conducting oral interviews, library research, and content analysis based on primary and secondary research. This study hereby concludes that the practice of rivalry songs should be discouraged within the polygamous household due to its negative implications on the family and society as a whole. However, since physical fights should be discouraged between rival wives whenever there are misunderstandings or domestic clashes between them, rivalry songs become inevitable because they are the only alternative available to express their sentiments.