Gerewol Festival – Chad

Last September, weeks before heading off to Botswana, it all came together, and I scrambled to rebook my flights and head to Chad for the Gerewol Festival of the Wodaabe tribe. When venturing into these amazing remote regions, working out the logistics and finding the right guide and agent can take several years, but it is so rewarding when it all comes together, even when at the last minute.

Each year, at the end of the rainy season, a specific place is chosen by the local elders deemed to be the best grazing for the cattle, and the semi-nomadic Wodaabe people gather for a week of incredible celebrations known as the Gerewol Festival to exchange news. The festival is a mass courtship ritual where the young Wodaabe men decorate themselves with elaborate paint, layers upon layers of jewelry, fancy hats, and elaborate costumes in a display to attract the young women in search of a partner. The men spend hours applying makeup and dressing up in special garb, which differs greatly from clan to clan. The Sudoskai typically paint their faces in red and orange and wear beautiful tall hats and turbans, while the Njapto paint their faces with white dots and patterns, wearing ostrich feathers on their heads. Once presentable, they gather in groups, singing for hours while making wild eye movements to impress the beautiful, young, tattooed ladies. During the festival, the young girls approach one of the dancers and signify their choice by humbly touching him. This can signify either a desire for marriage or for something brief.

As the world is progressing at lightening speed, it is not often that I find myself arriving into a country where almost no one speaks English, but that is when I know it is going to be a grand adventure beyond the amazing photographic opportunities.

It is in these moments when I am standing in awe of these beautiful tribes in the middle of nowhere that I really feel alive. Often, I stop, put down my camera, and say to myself, “Wow, and there are people working in cubicles on Wall Street.” It is a way to remind myself to be thankful for having the courage to take a big risk by leaving a lucrative career, and the trade-off is experiences beyond what I could ever have imagined. It is humbling to have the privilege to photograph such striking cultures in a world where they are quickly blending into our generic Western style.

What I loved was the luxury of time by camping at the festival. I was not only able to observe the tribal groups arriving and preparing for the ceremony (each day, the men became a little more elaborate), but it gave me plenty of time to socialize with them, learn from them, join them for a few meals and laughs, and immersed myself into the whole event. Being curious and intimately connecting with your subject(s) is what ultimately creates a more powerful image. I also like to leave with a unique cultural experience much deeper than only through the lens with hundreds of images on a hard drive.

I have had the honor of taking eight photographers with me to the Turkana Festival in Northern Kenya for the past three years. This will be my last year I can take a group. Different than countries on other continents, Africa beats to its own rhythm, always changing and keeping everything interesting. I have learned to never pass up a small window of opportunity or it may not be open when I am finally ready to climb through.

If you would love to witness and photograph this extraordinary tribal festival, I am offering this trip in September 2019. There are ONLY THREE SPOTS LEFT!

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