Nasyid, Jihad, and Hip-Hop

Abstract

Like other youth, young Muslims in Singapore and Sydney engage in multiple and often overlapping forms of popular culture. From the interviews that were conducted, it is evident that Muslim youth in Singapore and Sydney are represented in almost all kinds of musical genre, from the “religious” types of music with a focus on da’wah (invitation to Islam), to cultural manifestations like the Malay dikir barat, to global underground black metal strains. Moreover, youth are also making statements with the music they listen to and with the fashions they adopt. While they experiment with a range of music, they often immerse themselves in the accompaniments and identifiers that come with a particular musical genre that they are interested in. Fueling this are retailers who are quick to take advantage of the latest trends in popular youth culture.