Browsing by Author "Orina, Felix"

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    The dynamics of humour in coital imagery: Reflections on Bukusu Embalu and select East African popular music
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2022-06-09) Simiyu, Fred Wanjala; Orina, Felix
    Beyond procreation and continuity of the human race, sex and sexuality are a long-lasting creative force in literary art, whether oral or written, and beyond. Indeed, there are an unlimited number of artists whose claim to fame and immortality is their treatment of sex and sexuality in their creations. From traditional to contemporary oral art forms, references to physical sex, enunciation of the feelings and emotions underlying sex, and the accompanying innuendos are practically a social fact that is, however, seldom acknowledged. Also rarely acknowledged is the propensity of artistic sexual references to occasion excitement and amusement among hearers. Artists of all ages are wont to deploy sexual images as inspired by their unique contexts and diverse artistic ends, desires, and aspirations. Indeed, the desire to amuse and move to mirth and laughter, even as salient messages are delivered, may be one of the fundamental motivations. In the present chapter, we look at how coital imagery is deployed by artists in two different sexual humour cycles (old and contemporary, respectively) to arouse aesthetic response of amusement and mirth and, in the process, bring to surface any issues of profound social import. We specifically explore the making of sexual humour in traditional Embalu ritual among the Babukusu of western Kenya, on the one hand, and selected contemporary East African popular music, on the other, with the aim of establishing how the two genres relate in both content and form relative to their idiosyncratic contexts.
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    The Significance of Epic Features in Ngu͂Gi͂ WA Thiong’o’s the Perfect Nine
    (International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science, 2025-06-10) Wanyonyi, Geoffrey; Orina, Felix; Simiyu, Kennedy
    This paper explores the significance of the epic form in Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s The Perfect Nine (2020), with the aim of examining how the author repositions the epic as a vessel of pre-capitalist wisdom. It argues that Ngũgĩ employs the form not only to re-institutionalize orality but also to address the crises confronting contemporary humanity. The study identifies the poetics of the African epic within The Perfect Nine, employing a qualitative research design grounded in library research and textual analysis. These methods support an inquiry into whether a societal realignment—attuned to the demands of nature—is necessary to mitigate ongoing human crises. The analysis is guided by Ngũgĩ’s postcolonial philosophy of globalectics and Victor Shklovsky’s formalist theory. The Perfect Nine was purposively selected for its postcolonial engagement and its emphasis on indigenous knowledge systems. The findings contribute to scholarship on Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s oeuvre and reinforce key aspects of his postcolonial thought. Ultimately, the study underscores the vital role of the past in shaping the present and its potential in addressing contemporary human challenges. This research will be of particular interest to students and scholars of postcolonial African literature and those engaged in broader postcolonial discourse.