Traditional poetry in contemporary Senegal : A case study of Wolof kasak songs

This essay examines the contextual frame in which Wolof kasak songs are performed, the system of values they convey, and the artistic quality embedded within this poetic genre. It goes on to examine the change of the form as well as the factors that have contributed to the disappearance of the poetic genre in contemporary Wolof society. I claim that this traditional poetic culture, in spite of the disappearance of the cultural institution that birthed it, is being transformed, revived, and recuperated in novel forms in accordance with modern, urban realities.Cheikh Tidiane Lo is a Fulbright international Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University, Bloomington. He conducts research on West African cultural heritage and folklore. Prior to coming to IU, Mr. Lo received his B.A. and M.A. from the Universite de Saint Louis, Senegal. He was awarded the John W. Ashton Scholarship by the IU Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology and has presented his research at annual meetings of the African Studies Association and the American Folklore Society