Khartoum - It's hip hop night in the Sudanese capital and the crowd is ready to boogie as the DJ spins his turntable and the rapper from the war-torn Western Darfur region belts out his lyrics.

The scene being played out in a Western cultural centre in the heart of Khartoum would have been unimaginable after the Islamist-backed coup that brought President Omar al-Beshir to power more than 20 years ago.

The Islamist resurgence that rose in the wake of the June 1989 military coup dealt a fatal blow to popular music, but once-banned gigs are now back and kicking, albeit discreetly.

Ever since the Khartoum government in the north signed a peace agreement with the mostly Christian south five years ago, musicians have been fine-tuning their acts.

In the run-up to the country's first presidential and legislative election in 24 years next month, however, rappers are currently keeping their tunes politics-free.