Each year, January 10th marks Benin's national Voodun Festival. The festival is celebrated nationwide, but the city of
Oudiah is the center of the Voodun world - a "Mecca" of sorts. This year more than 100,000 Voodun celebrants and visitors (and photographers) congregated on the beach at Ouidah. Numerous spiritual ceremonies and performances punctuate the day as crowds wander and encircle the performers. In a state of spiritual euphoria, Voodun practicioners dance and perform ritual scarification. I was struck by the powerful energy that permeated the event and the strong, beautiful people.
A crowd gathers bellow the Door of No Return - a monument to the millions of slaves exported through Benin's ports during colonialisation.
Afrikaworld.net has an excellent description of Voodun history and beliefs.
I've organized these images into four categories: portraits, general scenes, dancing, and scarification.
A crowd gathers bellow the Door of No Return - a monument to the millions of slaves exported through Benin's ports during colonialisation.
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