FESTIMA: A West African Mask Festival in Burkina Faso

Every second year, there is a gathering of villagers each having their own tradition and sets of masks. Dedougou, a small city located in the west of Burkina Faso, 250km from its capital Ouagadougou, hosts the largest international art and mask festival. In that years edition of 2016, its 20th anniversary, I had the chance to watch some masks from around 50 different villages all over Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin. Making this festival a magic encounter, while I took a weekend break from my fieldwork in Ouagadougou.

For thousand of years there have been animist belief around in West Africa, in which masks play a central role, especially for remembrance rituals symbolizing the rhythm of life. They are made from textile, straw, wood and leaves for the worship of spirits and ancestors.

According to traditional beliefs, during the ceremony, the frantic music and dancing transform the entranced mask wearer into a spirit which communicates with ancestors. A wise man or translator sometimes accompanies the wearer of the mask during the ritual, helping to interpret the ancestors' message.

As per customary convictions, under the ritual, the rhythmic music and dancing change the spellbound mask wearer into a spirit which speaks with its ancestors. The savvy man or interpreter once in a while goes with the man wearing the mask, interpreting the ancestors’ message.

With temperatures around 43°C, in the "land of the honest people“ (Burkina Faso), trance like states are attained during hour’ long dances, chants and drumming, preserving and promoting a cultural heritage.