Masks of the Moon – Bwaba Ritual – Burkina Faso

This extraordinary magical ritual lies at the heart of the griot village of Baraba.

Sun, moon, stars

In the sky there are lots of stars,

There are whole tribes

Of men, women and children, long since become stars

San proverb

This inspirational ritual is both ancient and contemporary and is the expression of all that is magical about Africa. The sumbo poa or white masks are also called ‘masks of fabric’ belong to the griots of Bereba. These griots are masters of the spoken word, faithful guardians of the oral tradition, trusted keepers of ancestral customs and musicians for all occasions: the griots are responsible for all music in the Bwaba community.

The masks are made of fabric with crests that are richly decorated with cowrie shells, and are only brought out at full moon. They seem connected to some cosmic force beyond us.