A pastor from the Bororo tribe, AKA the Pel, AKA the Mbororo, AKA the Wodaabe, in traditional garb. What are the roots of the unique tradition among nomads in which women choose their husbands?
Pastor of the Pel Bororo
Sham, 2021
Acrylic on canvas - 69.3х128
Niamey, Niger
Acrylic on canvas - 69.3х128
Niamey, Niger
How does the traveller see it?
(Fragment of a post from a Facebook page)
Herd cows and be beautiful
Sometimes you buy a piece of art, and later on you meet the person it depicts. This was one such case. I bought this work in Niamey, the capital of Niger.
On the canvas, we see a nomadic cattle farmer from the Wodaabe tribe.
Once a year, in the fall, the Wodaabe celebrate a holiday called “Gerovol”, in which women are allowed to choose a groom for themselves. Very few women do this, and for that reason the men try hard to impress them – they sing, they dance, and they draw attention to the whiteness of their teeth as well as the whites of their eyes. As I look at her now and I watch a video, I wonder: why do brides “get chosen” around the world yet in the Wodaabe tribe, it’s the grooms who get chosen?
PS. I didn’t make a separate description of the painting, but the second QR-code and the comments talk more about the life of the Wodaabe people.
Sometimes you buy a piece of art, and later on you meet the person it depicts. This was one such case. I bought this work in Niamey, the capital of Niger.
On the canvas, we see a nomadic cattle farmer from the Wodaabe tribe.
Once a year, in the fall, the Wodaabe celebrate a holiday called “Gerovol”, in which women are allowed to choose a groom for themselves. Very few women do this, and for that reason the men try hard to impress them – they sing, they dance, and they draw attention to the whiteness of their teeth as well as the whites of their eyes. As I look at her now and I watch a video, I wonder: why do brides “get chosen” around the world yet in the Wodaabe tribe, it’s the grooms who get chosen?
PS. I didn’t make a separate description of the painting, but the second QR-code and the comments talk more about the life of the Wodaabe people.
And what do you think?