Music as Socially Reproductive Labor: Murid Creative Practice in Dakar’s Médina

Abstract

AbstractIn Médina, a crowded, working-class neighborhood in Dakar, disciples’ associations (dahiras) from the Murid Islamic Brotherhood turn city streets into spaces of participatory musical performance on a nightly basis. While the Brotherhood is frequently cited for its industriousness, scholars have generally focused on the agricultural and commercial aspects of Murid labor, rather than the creative aspect. This article examines how the Brotherhood’s valuing of creative activities as labor mitigates against the stigma that many young men in Médina face when they are expected to be productive members of society while largely being excluded from the prevailing global economic order.