The Impact of Cultural Mismatch on Pragmatic Interpretation of Nyimbo za Kristo Hymns by SDA Churches in Kakamega County

Abstract

This study examined the impact of cultural mismatch between the SDA church congregation in Kakamega County and the one in which the gospel songs in Nyimbo za Kristo were composed. The study adopted relevance theory by Wilson and Sperber (1995/2012), as explained by Chenenje (2023), because it highlights how the human mind interprets discourses through implicatures. A descriptive research design and purposive sampling technique were adopted to select 17 songs commonly sung in SDA churches in Kakamega County during services. The songs were sampled until saturation was attained after three months. The oral interview was conducted with 67 respondents from SDA Churches in Kakamega County, based on convenience and their willingness to be interviewed, until responses no longer changed (saturation stage). The data were analysed thematically using a content analysis guide and frequency distribution tables based on audiotape-recorded clips. The study found that 88 per cent of congregants cannot interpret Nyimbo za Kristo lyrics adequately because the language used is symbolic and biblically alluded to. It concluded that the songs of NYIMBO ZA KRISTO are biblically alluded to. The study recommends that preachers design sermons to match the songs' messages and that singers should select songs based on the occasion, while also providing the song's background before singing it. The study is significant because it addresses how cultural differences may hinder congregations’ understanding of hymn meanings.