2. Varieties of Performing

Chapter 2 benefits from a larger corpus collected over several years by Noël J. Gueunier and his collaborator Madjidhoubi Said. Numerous versions of Africa’s most widespread folktale, the defiant girl who marries monster in human disguise, reinforce importance making proper marriage. The popularity tale, many small island, show performers varying it tone borrowing elements other tales. One version is totally politicized. Other adaptations change wife victim into potent folktale heroine. Narrators also tell about trickster Bwanawasi (note Swahili name), use semi-autobiography or familiar names places to keep their hearers engaged, perform classic French fairytale, create stories own parodying traditional models even cinema thrillers. In such dominated society, parody prime tool for reappropriating inherited borrowed materials. That style creolization, process whereby people situations unequal power renegotiate language culture new art, music, literature.