Abstract:
KamaNu and Karimi’s song and dance lyrics have become increasingly popular in social
functions and entertainment circles in Meru County and beyond. This makes many
people quite receptive to the music, yet there has not been any attempt to investigate and
analyse their song and dance lyrics with regard to their deictic value. These song and
dance lyrics are a recreation of a blend of traditional, religious and secular music infused
with unique elements of person, spatial, temporal, and social deixis. The main focus of
this study was to explore how the deictic properties of these compositions by KamaNu
and Karimi unravel the thematic issues and their social significance under the guidance of
the following objectives: first, to examine the types of deixis used in the Kimeru song and
dance lyrics by KamaNu and Karimi, then secondly, establish themes expressed through
deixis; thirdly, assess the deictic strategies of communicating information and finally
evaluate the linguistic social significance of deixis used in these song and dance lyrics.
The study adopted a descriptive qualitative research design underpinned by Cruse’s
(2006) theory of deixis supported by Grice’s theory of Conversational Implicature and
Van Dijk’s Ideological square framework within Socio-cognitive Approach (SCA). Two
non-probability sampling techniques namely purposive and snowball sampling methods
were used to generate a sample of sixteen fans of KamaNu and Karimi’s song and dance
lyrics and twelve Kimeru song and dance lyrics, six for each artist. Data were generated
using the following instruments: observation, semi-structured interviews, video
recording, and note taking. The instruments were pilot tested before their actual use.
Qualitative analysis of the data was undertaken. The study established that Kimeru song
and dance lyrics employ deictic strategies which enhance the expression and
interpretation of people’s ideas and thoughts, and in turn aid in perpetuating their culture
and identity through shared preferences. The linguistic value of deixis is clearly
delineated. The study is expected to serve as a valuable resource for future reference and
provide a foundation for comparative studies to identify potential similarities and
differences in the deictic nature of songs. Additionally, the study will make significant
contributions to the fields of pragmatics and applied linguistics by enhancing the
theoretical understanding of song texts as linguistic entities, distinct from the more
literary perspective of musical orientation. It will also offer insights to policy makers as a
means of preservation of cultural heritage through documentation for posterity.
