At the convergence of Islam and drag?

Ladji, Isa, and Yacouba playing a little dress up during a 'shɛni' (dance party) held on 'Selideni' (the Muslim holiday at the end of Ramadan).

This year, the Islamic holy month of Ramadan lasted from August 1st through August 30th. During this time, Muslim people are obligated to fast during the daylight hours. On August 30th, the fast is broken by the Muslim holiday of 'Selideni' (Eid ul-Fitr).

Since the Bambaran people were traditionally animist, only later to be converted to Islam, there is a constant tension between the religions which can be seen daily in these communities.

I have found that though everyone considers themselves Muslim, they also wear 'boliw' (animist fetishes) for protection or good luck, such as a belt placed on all babies with leather pouches containing such items as the skull of a guinea-fowel, and perform traditional music and ceremonies in contrast to the religion.

In my village, the majority of people actually did not fast during Ramadan. Primarily only the 'cɛkɔrɔbaw' (elder men) participated in the fast. Part of the reason for this is no doubt that the holy month of Ramadan happened to take place during the period in which most of the work in the fields must be done. But despite this, I have found that other nearby villages held to the fast in much stricter fashion.

During the month, I was constantly asked about my religion. In the past, I had listened to the advice of former volunteers in describing myself as Christian. The idea is such that Malians, and religious people in general, have a hard time accepting that someone can believe in nothing. They can relate to you as long as you express some kind of religious sentiment.

But I never felt comfortable telling this lie. With no disrespect to organized religion, I feel that a big part of who I am is that I do not associate myself with any church or religious sect.

As I came to understand the religious tensions within the community, I decided that with the level of respect I have built in my community, as well as my improved language skills, this was the time to express my true beliefs.

So now when people ask me whether I am Christian, I respond 'no. My belief is that if you do good things during your life and strive to help others, while minimizing the bad, you will not burn when you die. Whether you pray or not, it doesn't matter.' I then go on to reinforce my belief with examples of people such as Hitler and Bin Laden, whom have associated themselves with these faiths, but certainly would not be on the right side of any God.

Generally, the response that I have received has been surprisingly favorable. Many of the younger people have told me 'I agree, we are the same. That is my belief too.' Even many of the older men have said 'that is the truth.' However, by outing myself as an atheist, a few elder men have taken it upon themselves to attempt to convert me. But after a few conversations, they seem to abandon the task.

Returning to the holiday of 'Selideni' itself, I was surprised to find that the village celebrated one of the most sacred days of the Islamic calender with a 'shɛni' (dance party), that included some young men dressing themselves up in women's clothing.

My understanding of the Muslim faith is that in it's most conservative form, music for any purpose but worship is forbidden. I understand that in most modern Muslim cultures, this opinion is considered outdated and music is fully embraced as a medium of enjoyment and expression. But it still caught me off-guard to find that my Muslim village held a dance party, with men dressing in drag at one point no less, as a means of celebrating a religious holiday.

I actually broached this subject with some of the villagers, who agreed that traditionally-speaking, this practice is at odds with the religion. It does not occur in any of the neighboring villages that I know of, and none of the other volunteers in the region can attest to having witnessed anything similar.

The people of my village are genuinely kind-hearted, generous people who know how to enjoy themselves and have a good time. They have endeared themselves to me and have made my time here enjoyable.

Pictured below are the festivities of 'Selideni' as celebrated in my small, Bambaran village:

Villagers walking out to a field for a communal prayer held during the morning of 'Selideni' to mark the end of Ramadan. Note that the crowd is assembled in rows with rugs at their feet, facing east towards Mecca. The men formed the first two rows, followed by three rows of young boys, and all the way in the back are the women.

Following the morning prayer, all of the men gathered together for a meal of 'kini ni tiga dɛgɛ na' (rice and peanut sauce). Note the men in front washing their hands with soap. I, along with members of our Water and Sanitation Committee, tried to encourage the practice during this event.

Young girls singing and clapping a traditional Malian song as the girls in back throw Dili, my host-sister, into the air when she falls back into their arms.

The young girls singing another traditional song as they take turns jumping in the middle of the circle.

Women braiding each-other's hair prior to the day's festivities. The woman on the left in purple is Korɛ, one of the women on our Water and Sanitation Committee.

A 'shɛni,' or dance party, was held on the afternoon of 'Selideni' underneath a large meeting tree in the village.

Yacouba brews tea in the foreground as kids dance in the background to music prior to the start of the 'shɛni.'

Seydou and Yacouba dance together in a line, passing through a line of a couple 'mɔgɔtigiw' (a term used for unmarried women - the direct translating being 'masters of people'). Generally, the dancers form two lines facing each-other; one of men and one of women. They then dance towards each-other before passing through to the other side.

Mama, my host mother, surprised us all by jumping in during the middle of the performance and dropping some urban dance moves. Here she is, in green, dropping to the ground to gyrate her upper body and pump her arms.

The crowd was very energetic, clapping and cheering throughout the entire event, as they are with all of the 'shɛniw' held throughout the year. Dramani (far left) manned the stereo equipment and the microphone, calling 'gɛrɛw' (groups of young people who socialize together) and individuals to dance and adding his own stylings on the microphone over some of the songs.

Some young girls dancing during the 'shɛni.'

All of the 'denmiseniw' (young children) converged into the circle for a mob dance. My camera had something to do with this excitement.

Dramani announced that for the last song, a couple 'mɔgɔtigiw' had arrived from Bamako and would like to dance. Ladji and Isa served as the 'mɔgɔtigiw,' dressed in drag. Yacouba joined them dressed in farmer's clothing on the left.

I finally got Kaja, one of my host-mothers who is camera-shy, to take a proper picture with me. Her daughter, Kaja-tou (directly beneath her), is one of the few toddlers who have actually taken a liking to me. Most just scream and run away at the sight of a white man.

My host mothers Kaja, Mama, and Bintu posing with me and a few of their kids for a picture during 'Seliba.' These are the three women who cook for me. My host father is Koka, and his younger brother is Badama. Mama is Koka's only wife, while Bintu and Kaja are Badama's wives.

During the two mornings following 'Selideni,' groups of men join together to 'yala yala ka daraka dun' (walk-about from concession to concession to eat breakfast). Baba, Badama, Baysa, Dramani, Tayluru, Mohammadu, Vieux, and Daouda (from left to right) formed my group. On August 31st, I served breakfast first in my concession, before moving onto five other concessions. September 1st involved breakfast at five different houses, including Baysa's, pictured above.

We had fun joking around throughout the morning, and took some pictures along the way.

The men posing with a 'wɔtɔrɔ.'

Another shot from the 'Seliba' breakfasts.

Following breakfast on September 1st, our Women's Garden Committee held a meeting with all of the village women regarding the monthly dues we are collecting. I took the opportunity to take a picture with some of the women dressed up in their 'Seliba' clothes.

My friend Vieux and I. He broke his leg several months ago from a motorcycle accident, and is still recovering. Therefore, since he has been unable to work in the fields with nearly all of the village, I spent a lot of time with him, as well as whomever happened to be around that day, chatting over tea during the day.