Decorated dhows docked along the Lamu seafront before the big race.

Racers ride their donkeys along the Lamu seafront to the cheers of thousands of gathered spectators who have come as pilgrims to the annual Maulidi celebration.

Singing praises to the Prophet Muhammad, Swahili men, dressed in ceremonial clothing, perform choreographed movements as they slowly make their way along the Lamu seafront in the annual zefe procession.

Participants in a zefe procession in Takaungu, coastal Kenya, wave banners with Qur'anic verse and sing songs to honor the Prophet Muhammad to the rhythm of the tambourine (twari).

A zefe procession in the Swahili coastal town of Takaungu, part of the migrating Maulidi celebrations that traverse the Kenya coast during the month that the Prophet Muhammad was born.

A zefe procession in the Swahili coastal town of Takaungu, part of the migrating Maulidi celebrations that traverse the Kenya coast during the month that the Prophet Muhammad was born.

Maulidi celebrations in the Swahili coastal town of Kipini, part of the migrating Maulidi celebrations that traverse the Kenya coast during the month that the Prophet Muhammad was born.

Zamuni dancers enter the dance space at a performance in honor of the Prophet Muhammad at the annual Maulidi celebrations in Takaungu.

Tambourine (twari) players accompany the Zamuni dancers.

Flutes (nai) accompany the Zamuni dancers.

A young boy is tipped with a shilling note for singing passionately during the annual zefe procession, a parade young Swahili boys anticipate while practicing songs and choreography with classmates of madrasa (Islamic school).

An uta dancer fits the knee-length leg rattles on before the performance.

Uta dancers tie on their leg rattles prior to their performance.

Dancers gather in front of the former home of Lamu's patron saint to perform a dance known as uta. The leg rattles worn by the dancers are made from coconut fibers and seeds, which provide a rhythmic accompanied as the dancers pound out the steps of the dance.

Among the dances performed on the grounds of the Riyadha Mosque during the Maulidi ceremony is one that is now only performed for this occasion known as uta, a rain-making dance that was known to have been performed by slaves who worked as coconut tree tappers known as wagema.

Two visitors from Tanga town on the northern Tanzanian coast, take a stroll along the Lamu seafront as a crowd gathers for the annual donkey race. Each year, Swahili pilgrims from all along the coast of East Africa, and from as far away as the UAE and the Comoros Islands, join Lamu residents at the celebration of the Prophet Muhammad, known as ""Maulidi.""

One of the most significant ceremonial activities performed by male pilgrims to Lamu during the Maulidi celebrations is a visit to the gravesite, where Habib Saleh and other local saints are buried. After prayers, pilgrims process in a parade (known as zefe) along Lamu's seafront singing songs that praise the Prophet Muhammad. Spectators gather to catch a glimpse of important visitors and guests who have come to Lamu to participate in the ceremony.

The Lamu seafront lined with thousands of spectators eager to catch a glimpse of their favorite sailing team during the annual Maulidi regatta, which features beautiful wooden sailing dhows.

Groups of Swahili men, donned in ceremonial white robes (kanzu) and embroidered caps (kofia), sing praises in honor of the Prophet Muhammad to the beat of the tambourine (twari).

One of the livelier groups of singers moves along the Lamu seafront in the annual zefe procession. an important part of the annual Maulidi celebration.

Groups of Islamic education classes sing their hearts out as they travel along the zefe parade route, which winds its way through the streets of Lamu town and onto the seafront during the annual Maulidi celebration in Lamu.

Lamu's Riyadha Mosque is the site of the music and dance (ngoma) competitions that take place over the four-day Maulidi celebration. Dignitaries, such as the President of Zanzibar (pictured here in yellow) inspect the dance groups representing various Swahili communities in the Lamu archipelago.

Joyful praise to the Prophet Muhammad in a choreographed state of spiritual ecstasy.

Forming a circle to chant the name of God, known as dhikri, promotes a state of spiritual ecstasy among participants of the annual zefe procession in Lamu during Maulidi celebrations.

Setting the rhythmic pace of the goma dance are the percussionists who play a two-headed drum (chapuo), a tin plate (utasa), and the big drum (goma) from which the dance gets its name.