The Wodaabe, or “people of the taboo”, are a subgroup of the the larger Fulbe or Fulani peoples of West and North-Central Africa. The Wodaabe are a traditionally nomadic and pastoralist people, herding cattle, goats, sheep, camels, donkeys and horses. Among the Fulbe, the Wodaabe stand out for retaining some of the oldest Fulbe customs, some pre-Islamic in nature. Such as their use of facial and body tattoos, achieved through the cutting of the skin with razor blades and filling the wounds with a mixture of coal and butter.
Among other things, they are famous for the annual Guérewol festival, a ritual courtship competition. Young men wear elaborate traditional attires, ostrich feathers and other adornments, face paint and even blacken their lips to make the white of their teeth stand out more, while performing elaborate dances, known as “Yaake”, accompanied by rhythmic clapping, stomping and singing, all to attract the attention of marriageable young women. Essentially, they are beauty competitions, judged by the women. Camel races and dowry negotiations are part of the festivities as well. Most famously held at In-Gall in Niger during the Cure Saléé festival, where Tuareg and Wodaabe people converge in September, the Guérewol festival is actually held at a number of locations in the broader region, at the end the rainy season.
