Proverbs in Akan highlife lyrics: A case study of Alex Konadu's lyrics

In pragmatics, the proverbs serve as one of the major tools of politeness and indirection. They effectively help the composer to politely comment on very delicate issues without incurring the displeasure of his audience. This paper examines the use of proverbs in Ghanaian folksongs. It highlights the pragmatic aspects, didactic and communicative functions of proverbs. The data for discussion is based on Akan proverbs extracted from four popular songs by the late Alex Konadu, a renowned highlife musician. The paper is discussed under the theoretical framework of linguistic politeness, which reflects the use of tactful and practical language to obviate crisis. We will subject the proverbs to sociolinguistic semantic, stylistic and pragmatic analyses. The paper argues that proverbs are indispensable in Akan oratory and politeness systems and form part of speakers’ communicative competence. Konadu spices his songs with proverbs that enrich the lyrics. The paper demonstrates that generally music serves as a storage facility for the documentation of Akan proverbs. It finally comments on the absence of proverbs in current Ghanaian highlife lyrics and its replacement with vulgar language, and recommends ways for improving this precarious literary situation. •Proverbs in Ghanaian folksongs.•Renowned highlife musician.•Sociolinguistics, semantic, stylistics and pragmatic analyses.•Akan oratory and politeness systems.•Storage and documentation of Akan proverbs.