The Zaouli dance (Ivory Coast).

The Zaouli dance is a traditional mask dance originating from the Guro people in the central western part of Ivory Coast.
It is performed during various ceremonies and celebrations, such as weddings, funerals, and other festive occasions.
The dance is characterized by the use of an elaborate wooden mask representing a beautiful young girl, known as "Zaouli."
The Zaouli mask is carved from wood and is known for its intricate details, particularly the headdress, which represents a beautiful woman.
The dancer wears a costume that complements the mask, often adorned with colorful fabrics, beads, and accessories.
The dance itself involves highly stylized and graceful movements. The dancer, usually a man, wears the Zaouli mask and performs a series of intricate steps, spins, and gestures. The dance is known for its agility, balance, and precision.
The Zaouli dance often carries cultural and social significance. It may represent aspects of beauty, femininity, or mythical stories from Guro folklore. The performance may also have spiritual or ritualistic undertones depending on the context in which it is presented.
The dance is accompanied by traditional music played with drums and other percussion instruments.
The Zaouli dance is not only a form of cultural expression but also serves as a source of pride and identity for the Guro people. It has become a symbol of the rich cultural heritage of Ivory Coast.

Website: robertopazziphoto.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/roberto_pazzi_photo/

Tags:   Multi Colored Group Of People Costume disguise men drums drumers dancer performer traditions travel celebration event headdress mask lifestyles portrait tribe Zaouli Ivory coast outdoors culture africa photography place african ethnicity full length tribal colors nikon horizontal day celebration make-up looking at camera

© All Rights Reserved

Dozo people (Ivory Coast).

Traditional Dozo hunters are found in northern Ivory Coast, Mali and Burkina Faso.
To become a Dozo, it is necessary to pass an initiation and to adopt a code of moral and social conduct.
Anyone can enter this society by making a request to the "master" Dozo by presenting an offering of kola nuts and a rooster.
A ritual bath consecrates the student.
Being a Dozo means strictly respecting the values of brotherhood: the spiritual foundation of the brotherhood, moral values of each Dozo and knowledge of the art of hunting and the rituals connected to it.
Being a Dozo means taking on the responsibility of protecting your community, this fact has led the Dozo to become a real parallel police, a militia that maintains order and defends civilians.

Website: robertopazziphoto.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/roberto_pazzi_photo/

Tags:   Group Of People uniform men brotherhood hunters traditions travel culture lifestyles portrait tribe Dozo Ivory coast outdoors africa photography african ethnicity full length colors nikon horizontal day looking at camera standing

© All Rights Reserved

Group of Boloye men with the traditional musical instruments used to mark the rhythm of the dance "of the Panther" (Ivory Coast).

The dance is called "of the Panther" because the performers are dressed in a stained fabric overalls and with a mask on the face, also made of cloth, that recalls a leopard.
The movements of the performers is marked by the music of stringed instruments, made using huge pumpkins as a sounding board, and the drums; they also use some pumpkins covered with shells or seeds, moreover one or more people exclaim words that seem to mark not only the rhythm but also the movements of the dancers.

Website: robertopazziphoto.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/roberto_pazzi_photo/

Tags:   Group Of People Costume men musical instruments musician performer traditions travel celebration lifestyles portrait tribe Boloye Ivory coast outdoors culture africa photography african ethnicity full length colors nikon horizontal day looking at camera standing

© All Rights Reserved

Portrait of a Fulani mother with her child (Ivory Coast).

The Fulani is an ethnic group inhabiting many countries and mostly in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region.
The approximate number of Fulani people is unknown, due to clashing definitions regarding Fulani ethnicity.
Various estimates put the figure between 25 and 40 million people worldwide.
A third of the Fulani are pastoralists, and their ethnic group has the largest nomadic pastoral community in the world.
The majority of the Fulani ethnic group consisted of semi-sedentary people, as well as sedentary settled farmers, scholars, artisans, merchants, and nobility.
As an ethnic group, they are bound together by the Fulani language, their history and their culture.
The Fulani are almost completely Muslims.

Website: robertopazziphoto.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/roberto_pazzi_photo/

Tags:   two people woman child mother daughter female traditions travel lifestyles portrait tribe ivory coast outdoors Fulani muslim culture africa photography african ethnicity head shoulders hut colors nikon horizontal day looking camera

© All Rights Reserved

Fulani children inside their hut (Ivory Coast).

The Fulani is an ethnic group inhabiting many countries and mostly in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region.
The approximate number of Fulani people is unknown, due to clashing definitions regarding Fulani ethnicity.
Various estimates put the figure between 25 and 40 million people worldwide.
A third of the Fulani are pastoralists, and their ethnic group has the largest nomadic pastoral community in the world.
The majority of the Fulani ethnic group consisted of semi-sedentary people, as well as sedentary settled farmers, scholars, artisans, merchants, and nobility.
As an ethnic group, they are bound together by the Fulani language, their history and their culture.
The Fulani are almost completely Muslims.

Website: robertopazziphoto.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/roberto_pazzi_photo/

Tags:   standing Rural Scene two people posing woman children siblings girls female traditions travel interior lifestyles portrait tribe ivory coast indoors Fulani muslim culture africa photography place african ethnicity half length hut colors nikon horizontal day looking at camera

© All Rights Reserved