Posts
A gallery of 33 selected photographs from my recently completed journey to Chad (Tchad) is now available for viewing on my personal photography website.
Gallery Link:
https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Gerewol-Festival-Chad-2019
Mobile App Link:
https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/Gerewol-Festival-Chad-2019?mobile=true
I had gone to Chad to witness, document as well as experience the Gerewol Festival.
The Gerewol Festival is the annual gathering of the nomadic people of the Wodaabe Tribe of the Sahel region of Africa. At the gathering, the males compete for the attention and "favors (favours) of the young females. The Wodaabe people consider themselves to be the most beautiful people in the world.
For the festival which provides the opportunity to comingle the bloodlines of the various clans, the males dress and make-up to emulate birds while accentuating their features that are considered beautiful and desirable.
Starting a little before sunset each day, the young men will dance and chant all night long before stopping just after sunrise.
Attending this festival was a great opportunity for me to: "show extraordinary people doing ordinary things. In so doing, I wish to show how different people can appear, to provide a glimpse of other cultures, to celebrate the diversity of mankind, and to demonstrate that despite our appearances we are so much alike."
Chad was definitely one of the places that I now seek and treasure - "a place less visited"
