Meaning

In Sufi culture Mawlida shenge literally refers to a vigil, held from sunset to sunrise, in honour of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth, and probably dates back to the 12th century. This ancient practice still exists today, and is passed down from one generation to the next, bringing together both men and women in a ritualised, codified way. Centuries-old, sometimes millennia-old songs – actually Sufi heritage poems praising the prophet – are sung in classical Arabic. Dances and music can lead to trances, as if a subtle dialogue was taking place between devotion and possession. The mawlida shenge is both social and spiritual, an inseparable whole that contributes to the cohesion between generations and makes it possible to feel that you belong to a shared history and culture.

Locations and occasions

Most villages in Mayotte have an association called mawlida shenge shama, whose leader has the status of fundi, which means “the one who holds knowledge and wisdom”. The island is divided into two well-structured parts, the North managed by fundi Omar from the village of Acoua, and the South – which also includes Petite-Terre – managed by Maoulida Mchangama from the village of Kani Be. This means that event organisation is centralised through schedules that cover all villages every week of the year. The mawlida shenge is held to mark life’s spiritual events such as a return from the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj), the Prophet’s birthday, or Eid Al Fitr. It is also practised within the family to fulfil a nadhara vow, or during bereavement, on the day of death or burial as a prayer to accompany the deceased, on the 3rd day (raru), 9th day (shendra), 40th day (arbayini), or even after 12 months (hawuli). It may also take place at different stages of a wedding, such as during the daytime wedding procession, manzaraka, or during the nighttime wedding ceremony, madjilis. The practice has extended to social or political life, such as during trade union movements, election periods, or when defending French Mayotte. In this case it is somewhere between a prayer and animist rite since the mawlida shenge was also held in ziara: places located all over the island where ritual practices were performed, and which existed long before islamisation. Thus at certain iconic, sacred sites such as the tomb of Sultan Andriantsoly at Pointe Mahabou, or Polé mosque on Petite-Terre, large mawlida shenge are organised every year in the presence of fundi, as well as trumba ceremonies for the spirits of the deceased, and patrosi ceremonies for the spirits of nature. Today, mawlida shenge are carried out on public holidays or even just at the weekend. The ceremony typically takes place outdoors — there is no specific venue. A square or rectangular canopy called a bandrabandra is set up, made of a temporary frame over which strips of fabric are attached, forming a flexible covering called a haima. The perimeter is covered with tshandaruw, fabrics that in the past were elaborately embroidered with brightly coloured designs depicting the natural world. Inside, the floor of the bandrabandra is covered with mats, and the space is divided into two equal parts, one for women and the other for men. This separation, called a msutru, is made from floor-to-ceiling fabric. Men and women are thus in fellowship through the music despite not be able to see one other.

Musical instruments and dress codes

The three types of instruments used – played only by men during the ceremony – are part of the membranophone family. Thus the sound is produced by the vibration of one or more skin membranes.

The tari is a circular frame drum that is carved from wood and covered with goatskin on one side. The drum played during the mawlida shenge is the largest, and can measure 45 to 50 cm in diameter. One hand holds it, and the fingers make small taps on the membrane. The other hand beats the drum freely and more vigorously. The fumba and dori drums have two drumheads that are stretched and fastened using a string. They are part of the ngoma family. The fumba gives a rhythmic base with a low sound, while the dori – smaller and therefore higher-pitched - gives a more melodic sound. They are mostly played with both hands.

Men’s outfits are low-key. They wear a kandzu, a traditional plain white garment, and a waistcoat. The headgear is either an embroidered kofia, or a red fez. The women all wear traditional clothing, consisting of a knotted, tube-shaped saluva, a kishali shawl that is worn over the head or shoulders, and a bodysuit under the saluva. To mark their identity as a group, the women all wear an identical colour. They also wear msindzanu – a beauty mask made from sandalwood – as well as jewellery and jasmine flowers.

Sequence of events

The participants sit in the bandrabandra, with the men on one side of the msutru adjusting the instruments and preparing to sing, while on the other side are the women who will sing in response to coded instructions from the men. The first group of women – responsible for body choreography and hand gestures in particular – stands. Others are seated in front of them, and will move their torso in a coordinated and freely choreographed fashion. The important fundi intone the mawlida shenge with invocations (duwa), and then a collective prayer of the Koran’s first surah, Al Fatiha, is recited, led by the men before the singing and dancing begins. The ceremony then continues with the reading of chanted poems. The percussion players gradually join the singing, and little by little the women begin to dance. Different songs follow one another for several hours in a similar pattern: slow songs, seated, then lively songs accompanied by sitting and standing dances on the women's side. The last part of the song is a succession of repetitions that can last for more than ten minutes, or for as long as the fundi soloist does not stop. On average the songs last ten to twenty minutes.

A show of emotions

During a ceremony, the speed of certain chants, repetitive drum rhythms, as well as the effect of a group spiritually joined by the heart chorusing the Prophet’s passion and life are all factors that generate trance-like emotions, djadiba, similar to a loss of self-control. Although it is an individual event, it is nevertheless one of shared joy and collective exaltation. For many, this is the most moving part of the mawlida shenge.`

Transmission

Learning mawlida shenge is an integral part of life in Mayotte. It could be said it is embedded in the genes and resonates even in the mother’s womb. From an early age, children attend, listen, sing, play, and participate in preparations and events in their family and village environment. Girls and boys from the age of 3 attend the traditional school, shioni, which literally means "place of books", before going to the state school. The shioni curriculum focuses on learning the Quran, either by reading it, learning it by heart, writing it in Arabic script, and/or singing it using a unique vocal technique. Collecting odes – in particular those known as qasida – brings together poetic writings that narrate the story of the Prophet Muhammad on an ethical and spiritual level, in a descriptive, metaphoric, and hagiographic way.

Summary text written by Cécile Bruckert

Based on the Intangible Cultural Heritage report written by Achoura Boinaïdi.

Traduction réalisée par Catharine Cellier-Smart (Smart Translate).

Photo : Mawlida shenge feminin, Petite-Terre, 2007, F. Précourt.