Mtendeni Maulid Ensemble - A Sufi Ritual from Zanzibar

The Mtendeni Maulid Ensemble performs a visually arresting style of Sufi religious devotion called "Maulidi ya Homu" in Zanzibar. The form has roots in the ancient Arab world, but today survives only in Zanzibar. Maulidi ya Homu is associated with the tariqa ‘Sufi order or brotherhood’ founded by Ahmad al-Rifa’i. The Rifa’iyya originating in Egypt has spread over the Near East, but also as far as Indonesia, the Comoros, and Zanzibar. The form of Maulidi ya Homu performed today is thought to have originated from Iraq and came to Zanzibar around 1800. Over time the performance has become distinctly Zanzibari blending local ngoma traditions with more general Islamic elements. The video was excerpted from the film "Zanzibar Musical Club" by Philippe Gaznier & Patrice Nezan. The film is available as a DVD from Buda Musique in France. (More information on Mtendeni at: http://www.jahazi-media.com/mtendeni.html) .

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