Discursive exploration of the dynamics of nationhood in selected Segun Akinlolu (a.k.a Beautiful Nubia)’s songs

Nationhood refers to the state or condition of being a nation, with collective identity, unity and, in most instances, sovereignty. Despite the fact thatsome studies look at Beautiful Nubia’s music in various disciplinary contexts, the role of language in constructing the dynamics and complexities of nationhood as expressed in his lyrics has still not been explored. Thus, this study is a discursive exploration of nationhood in selected songs of Beautiful Nubia. Three songs: A ò dìde, (from the album Lords of the Letters, Mábáwọ́ nsọ́ (from Jangbalajugbu) and Bèríwọ́ n (from Atunluto) were purposively selected for this study based on their graphic engagement with nationhood. The data were examined through Martin and White’s appraisal theory. Findings show that Beautiful Nubia deploys elements of judgement and appreciation subsystems of attitude to denounce observed social injustices and to judge the present status of the Nigerian nation against its past. He utilises heteroglossia, an element of engagement, to identify and draw upon different voices in the discourse on nationhood to foreground the fact that nation-building is everyone’s duty. The study demonstrates the notion that songs, beyond primarily performing entertainment functions, pragmatically function as a tool for social re-engineering.