Bahlabelelelani - Why Do They Sing?

This book focuses on the nature of women's contemporary songs in the rural community of Zwelibomvu, near Pinetown in KwaZulu-Natal.

Nompumelelo Zondi is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of African Languages at the University of Pretoria.

Acknowledgements 1. Introduction: Women's Songs in a Patriarchal Society 2. A Theoretical Framework for the Analysis of Women's Songs 3. Popular Songs in African Contexts: An Overview of the Literature 4. The Performance Settings of the Zwelibomvu Women's Songs 5. Gender and Power in Contemporary Women's Songs 6. Composition and Circulation of Contemporary Women's Songs 7. Conclusion: Bahlabelelelani-ke - Why Then, Do They Sing? Appendix Select Bibliography Index