Multilingual Communication Strategies in African Religious Music: A Linguistic Study of Dholuo Ohangla Gospel Expression

Abstract

This study explores multilingual communication strategies employed in contemporary Dholuo Ohangla gospel music, analysing how artists utilise various linguistic resources to enhance spiritual messages and engage audiences across cultural and linguistic boundaries within Kenya's multilingual religious environment. The research adopts a qualitative descriptive approach based on Relevance Theory to analyse four intentionally selected Dholuo Ohangla gospel songs. Data analysis focuses on identifying metaphorical expressions, patterns of code-switching between Dholuo, English, and Swahili, and stylistic devices that facilitate effective multilingual spiritual communication. It reveals sophisticated multilingual strategies, including the deliberate use of English military and technological terminology, inventive metaphorical structures combining animal, modern, and traditional imagery, and culturally embedded communication tools that preserve Luo cultural authenticity while reaching diverse audiences efficiently. The study concentrates on four songs from a single linguistic community, which limits the generalisability of the findings across African gospel music traditions. Future research should involve broader comparative analyses across multiple African languages and larger sample sizes to validate the results in different contexts. The findings inform multilingual education policies by demonstrating successful indigenous language adaptation strategies, guiding religious organisations in creating artistic expressions that serve as genuine cultural heritage, and thus warrant documentation and promotion.