Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

17th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Three men dance and exhibit themselves in search of a wife

The men dance and sing tirelessly, they show their teeth and highlight their eyes on the face paint. After the rainy season, the nomadic ethnic group of the Wodaabe celebrate one of their most important rites, the gerewol. The men put on makeup, paint their faces and dress in their best clothes and ornaments. Then they exhibit themselves singing and parading in front of the young women who will choose who will be their husband. They are holidays and dances where families and different clans gather in a ceremony of voices and color.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2019
Photo Location: Chad
Camera: NIKON D800
Copyright: © Enrique Lopez-Tapia