AN EXPLORATION OF THE CONTENT IN POLITICAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN SONGS:
THE CASE OF 2016 PRESIDENTIAL AND GENERAL ELECTIONS IN ZAMBIA
Keywords:
Political Songs, Propaganda, Electoral Campaigns, Political Parties
Abstract
The period of political electioneering is one of the most heated and divisive moments in Zambia’s political landscape. This article draws upon and reports the findings of a qualitative study which collected, interrogated, and using content and discourse analysis, analysed the content of 28 election campaign songs prior to the 2016 Presidential and General Elections. Specifically, the content of 14 pieces from each of the two political parties, which were aligned to the two political heavyweights, Edgar Chagwa Lungu of the ruling Patriotic Front and Hakainde Hichilema of the opposition United Party for National Development, were analysed. The article reveals that the content of the songs supporting various candidates running for political office mixed past achievements, campaign promises with messages focused on personalities such as derision for the opposing political opponent, and hero-worshipping of their preferred candidates. In this context, the songs analysed in this article meet the criteria for typical political election campaign songs according to the Functional Theory of Political Campaign Discourse.
Published
2022-07-26
How to Cite
Banja, M., & Walubita, G. (2022). AN EXPLORATION OF THE CONTENT IN POLITICAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN SONGS:. ZANGO: Zambian Journal of Contemporary Issues, 34(1), 69-82. Retrieved from https://journals.unza.zm/index.php/ZJOCI/article/view/785
Section
Articles