EVENT TRAVEL GEREWOL: Introduction
     
     
In the West African Republic of Niger, in the grass savanna of the hot Sahel between Tahoua and Agadez, live the Wodaabé, the nomadic shepherds of the Bororo tribe.
     
The Wodaabé drive their cattle year-round in an area of many thousands of square miles, searching out new grazing places. As a consequence they rarely find themselves in the company of other members of their tribe. To ensure the continuation of the tribe, the members of two Bororo lineages meet at the end of the rain season at the beginning of October at Gerewol.
Gerewol is first and foremost a marriage market, but one wearing the attire of a male beauty contest. The men make up their lips, eyebrows, and cheeks with natural cosmetics. They wear fantastic jewellery in the form of feathers, pearls, amulets and they dance together, arm in arm, in a line, to attract the attention of girls with comic expressions and songs.  A delegation of girls, picked by the elders, decides each year on the most beautiful man.
The Wodaabé are not used to meeting Europeans. How could they be, with their nomadic life far out in the vast Sahel. They do know though, from occasional experience, that Europeans can rarely withstand the temptation of photographing this astonishing aesthetic spectacle, this incredible, fascinating, colourful and authentic experience that is the Gerewol. But the Wodaabé reacts generously and tolerantly to the obtrusiveness of the European. They find it amusing to watch the "Whites" peering through their glass-eyed box and to see how happy it makes them.
This is an amazing opportunity for photographers, relaxed and undisturbed, to take sensational shots. But even so, we would ask now, that you take your time initially, time to establish contact and make acquaintance. We want to spend many days in the Gerewol. We want to be able to move around confidently with the Wodaabé and not be regarded as strangers. This is not a photographer's gold rush. We want to take the time to appreciate the simple life of the Wodaabé, and perhaps take a little of their wisdom home with us. This is the real purpose of our journey.

 

The Gerewol of the Wodabeé, in the middle of the barren nature of the Sahel, is unmistakably African. It is one of the last traditional festivals in West Africa, free from commerce and hardly known to the media. You are pretty much guaranteed to be the only visitors there. But remember, the Nomads have a very different sense of time and calendar. We will only find out on the spot where exactly the Wodaabé intend holding their festival this year. Since different Bororo lineages celebrate their Gerewol at the same time, several Gerewol occur over a six-week period. There is a good chance therefore, of coming across one. However, we can't guarantee anything, since the reality is that nomad festivals are not held by appointment. And it should be kept in mind that the Gerewol is only one of the many highlights of the trip.