Performing and festivalising Islamic devotion through music : the evolution of hadrah in Indonesia

Abstract

This thesis examines the persistence and rising popularity of hadrah, a form of Islamic devotional music performed with percussion instruments to accompany ṣalawāt, mawlid, and other religious rituals in Indonesia. It argues that hadrah has remained relevant and has expanded since the 1990s due to its Islamic legitimacy, historical significance among Indonesian Muslims, and its reinvention through documentation, festivalisation, and public performances. These processes have unfolded alongside broader Islamic revival movements, political transformations, and the growth of media technologies. While sharing similarities with Islamic musical traditions elsewhere, hadrah in Indonesia reflects a unique local character that blends tradition, aesthetics, and piety within competitive and state-supported platforms such as festivals and national competitions. Through a combination of literature analysis, interviews, and social media research, this study shows how hadrah exemplifies the festivalisation of religion, as theorised by Anne K. Rasmussen, and reveals how Islamic devotional practices are continuously negotiated in the public sphere. This thesis contributes to broader debates on Islamic art, popular religion, and the relationship between performance, piety, and identity in Muslim societies, offering new insights into how local traditions adapt within global currents of Islamisation and cultural expression.