Music and Transcendence: Sufi Popular Performances in East Africa

Abstract

The article discusses transcendence in music in relation to popular Sufi performances in East Africa, drawing on specific cases from Zanzibar. Based on fieldwork, it examines ways in which music and movement in a structured event or performance can affect the consciousness. This phenomenon is discussed in close connection to its increasing presence in popular music festivals. The article also addresses the latent conflict between the performative Sufi orders of Islamic faith and the more conservative and increasingly silent Muslims.