Jake's Miango New Years Day Page

Note: Small versions of the pictures are included here. If you would like to see the full version, just click on the picture and the bigger version will show up on your screen.

Here we are at Miango Village watching some tribal dances. We are waiting for all the speeches to be over. It seems like there are at least 50 speeches that are half an hour long each.

This is a volcano that they think still has some activity. I threw my dad in as a human sacrifice, but it spit him back out. (Not really...)

This is some of the dancers. All the groups first come out and parade around in a circle. They then go back outside and come in one group at a time to dance.

Here are some other tribal dancers.

These are some more tribal dancers with bells, cowrie shells, and some ribbon hanging off them. They are playing loud wooden flutes.

Each group had its own set of drummers. These guys were loud and obnoixious. (Just like my dad.) They played hard and their foreheads got sweaty. People from the crowd would go up and stick money on their foreheads to show their appreciation.

These guys are singing a song, but I don't know what the words are because they are all in Hausa.

Here's some more tribal dancers. They were wearing goat hoof shakers on their legs.

These guys are putting on a play. One is dressed like a Fulani shepherd and the other with the horns is supposed to be a cow.

This guy is supposed to be the next Houdini. He wiped the fire all over himself. They say he uses "juju" (Black Magic) but I don't believe it.

This guy is supposed to be another great magician like Houdini. They have put a huge rock on his chest and are hitting it with a sledge hammer. I didn't believe this, but when I looked up I saw him and some other guys carrying the huge rock away. It must have weighed a ton.

These are masked dancers. They moved through the crown and would put on special shows for people who would then give them money. My dad gave them 20 niara (about a quarter.)