Published Article

ABSTRACT 

The proliferation of various digital media types aids the re-contextualisation of familiar communication genres. One of the affordances of the new communication ecology is evident in the popular Christian religious songs often sung during Christmas and popularly called Carol Songs. The question of whether Afro-carols have helped in furthering the propagation of cultural ideas and identity is important considering the increase of such genres on the continent. This study leveraged Hall’s Contextual Theory to examine respondents' preferred versions of Carol Songs and how the contextual cues in African carol songs instil cultural consciousness. Using mixed methods such as ethnographic observation and interviews in Nigeria and Cameron, findings showed that Afro-carols were the most preferred Carol Songs among Africans and such Carol genre was mostly accessed via various digital platforms like YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and various music streaming platforms. The use of cues that blend Christianity and traditional heritage as evident setting, language, gestures, artefacts, local delicacies, and attires, often helps to indigenise carol songs and promote a sense of cultural belonging and identity. This study recommends the need for more adaptations of Westernised Carol songs into indigenous languages in Africa to counter the hegemonic tendencies of the Western genre and pave the way for more effective engagements for cultural promotion.