The Gerewol Festival has brought great worldwide fame to the Mbororo tribe, a subgroup of the Fulani. This ethnic group can be found throughout the Sahel, mainly in Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and the Central African Republic. The nomadic communities are herders and practice transhumance, following the rhythm of the seasons in search of water and pasture for their cattle. Some communities are totally nomadic, while others are semi-nomadic and practice subsistence agriculture. Generally, the latter had been nomadic in the past, but lost their livestock due to land grabbing, the closure of transhumance corridors and climate change.
The Gerewol Festival
The Gerewol Festival of the nomadic Mbororo or Wodaabe tribe became part of the collective imagination in the early 1980s. It was then that the photographer Carol Beckwith published an article in National Geographic about the Gerewol that was celebrated in Niger.
During the month of October, the Mbororo tribe or Wodaabe nomads gather in the region near N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, to celebrate the Gerewol Festival. This event consists of a large annual courtship ceremony, which lasts several days. Its goal is for the Mbororo women to choose a partner. In addition, this meeting serves to unify and unite the clans.
The boys of the Mbororo tribe prepare for the Gerewol Festival with a careful make-up session. They use natural pigments in order to enhance the whiteness of your teeth and eyes. In addition, they wear their best finery adorned with cowries, colored fabrics and ostrich feathers. The young people dance with slow movements, accompanied by verses and grimaces. The combination with the consumption of natural stimulants leads them to a trance state. Their goal is to attract attention to be chosen by one of the single girls in the clan. The girl joins the dance of the boy she has liked, touches his heart with her hand, and immediately afterwards, the couple is discreetly lost in the night. Definitely, the Gerewol Festival is one of the most evocative traditional events in all of Africa. It is a great display of the culture and aesthetic beauty of the Wodaabe.
Do you want to experience the Gerewol Festival of the Mbororo tribe?
Experience the Gerewol Festival of the Mbororo tribe with our trips to Chad. Click here to see our upcoming trips to Chad.
At Last Places we have close contact with the Mbororo chiefs and we organize Gerewol ceremonies throughout the year, respecting tribal protocols. Young people who participate in these festivals enjoy the experience as if it were spontaneous. Likewise, at Last Places we promote the preservation of Mbororo traditions and culture.
You can learn more about the Wodaabe at www.101lasttribes.com.
© Photos by Aníbal Bueno taken during the Gerewol Festival of the Mbororo tribe.
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