Sketching in Mauritania: Leyali El Medh 2019 plus bonus sketches

photographe

The best year of the Festival of El Medh (songs of praise for the prophet). The Vilage de la Biodiversité was full every night. The public, as every year, a mix of all the components and strata from this mixed country and even the minister of Culture showed up for the first time in the 6 years the Festival has been going on.

This Festival organized by Teranim an NGO that tries by all means to preserve the culture of the Haratines (former slaves and tributaries) has a lot of problems trying to get funding as some see them as putting ahead the ancient slaves and others are afraid they're doing some kind of proselytism.

public

Teranim really deserves to be know and hopefully soon they will get some big sponsors as every year the Festival runs thanks to the group of volunteers, the energy of its Director Mohamed Ali Bilal and a few donations.

The Meddahas

A writing by a journalist really sums up what happens in the Park during the Festival :

''The space of Biodiversity becomes during the nights of the Festival Leyali El medh an outlet where are canalized the frustrations of the day, those of the year in a momentum of joy that produces a collective therapy and a eternal moment of human fraternity.''

my drum

Teranim gave me this beautiful drum to thank me for my presence and help, unfortunately when I'm in stage I get completely hopeless and I didn't manage to say thank you.

And now for the bonus images from Leyali El Medh from other years that I had not posted, from the songs of praise in the neighborhoods and others. Starting with a drawing done at the Village de la Biodiversité with a troupe of women doing Bendja.