ABSTRACT
In the Senegalese capital, Dakar, rapid urbanization and “Wolofization” (both linguistic and cultural) have gone hand in hand with the formation of de-ethnicized urban subjectivities. Young Dakarois in particular cultivate hybrid identities that draw upon Islamo-Wolof practices and global popular culture, while ethnic and linguistic differences become less important. This shift is accompanied by the commonly voiced perception that urban youth are increasingly alienated from traditional, or ancestral, cultural practices. However, the hugely popular spectator sport of lutte avec frappe – traditional wrestling with punches – challenges this dichotomy by drawing upon an eclectic array of global, Islamic, and traditional symbols and practices. Although the commercially visible manifestations of the sport are primarily practised in the urban arenas of Dakar, the elaborate spiritual-mystical preparation required of its protagonists compels them to strategically evoke ethnic affiliations. Wrestling thus emerges as a site of re-ethnicization, encouraging young athletes to “rediscover”, engage with, and deploy ethnic identities – ostensibly to improve their chances of sporting recognition and success, and to foster a connection with an imagined ancestral origin. The persistence of ethnicity in Senegalese wrestling points to the significance of sport in constructing narratives of belonging and allows us to consider the complex relationship between ethnicity and nationalism in the postcolonial state.
