Lester P. Monts: The Evolution and Ideological Shifts in Vai (Liberia) Islamic Music 1978 to 1988, 169–180

Abstract

The process of Islamization in various regions of Africa often leads to the transformation of customary religious beliefs. Among the Vai people, this process shares similarities with movements in other regions but also has unique characteristics. Two influential secret societies highlight this distinctiveness: the Poro and the Sande. Several factors influence this development, including early participation in coastal commerce, the aftermath of turbulent civil wars, and the impact of proselytizers from prominent Muslim regions to the east. This article explores the Islamization process among the Vai people, focusing on the ideological changes occurring in Bulumi and its environs over a ten-year period.

[Liberia, Islam, Vai people, religious change, music]