Discourse on Illness and Healing in Selected Gospel Songs in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the discourse on themes of iI/ness and healing in gospel music in Southwestern Nigeria since the early 19805. It 0150 identified factors responsible for the regular occurrence of these themes in Nigerian gospel music recordings. Adopting contextual, cultural-hermeneutical, musicological and disco graphical approaches this study carried out a textual analysis of recordings of selected gospel musicians from the Southwestern part of Nigeria. Interviews were also conducted with some gospel musicians to obtain information about the theology underpinning their songs, and their perceptions of what they considered as illness and healing. Lastly. secondary sources such as book5~ articles in journals, newspaper Articles~ and internet sources were consulted. As will be demonstrated the findings show that gospel musicians perceived illness not only as Q state of physical but also as a spiritual, social and even political disorder that all needed to be restored to optimum functionality.