Portraits Danseurs traditionnels Pende
Portraits Pende
Traditionnal dancers and musicians from surrounds of Gungu , Bandundu and Western Kasai region
in Democratic Republic of Congo
Pende came from Angola and settled from end of 19th century in the region of Gungu and Kahemba in the east of Bandundu and Western Kasai regions.
They are mainly farmers and breeders.
During their migrations, they have enhanced their traditions and customs.
The Traditionnal Dances of Gungu festival, initiated by Midi à Gumama, brought from 1987 to 1989 hundreds of dancers and musicians from the villages around.
These villagers, one day’s arstists, contributed to keep lively Bapende traditions.
Some have walked more than sixty kilometers to come in Gungu.
Dancers and musicians bands up to sixty persons performed their choregraphies held by the rythm of the percussions.
It’s also a rendez-vous of the initiation practices of traditionals rituals of the crossing from childhood to the adult world.
I have settled a daylight studio a bit apart of the festival and have invited the dancers and musicians to be photographied one by one in a documentary process.
The photographs have been done originaly on Ektachrome and Kodachrome film with a Hasselbald CM and Planar 80mm for the 120 film and a Nikon F2 and a 85mm Nikkor for the 135 mm film.
Scanned by Tim Parkin at Drumscanning UK
Printed in black and white on Epson with Ultrachrome inks on Innova Exhibition photo paper
Presented in a black alu frame 50/60cm with passe-partout
Traditionnal dancers and musicians from surrounds of Gungu , Bandundu and Western Kasai region
in Democratic Republic of Congo
Pende came from Angola and settled from end of 19th century in the region of Gungu and Kahemba in the east of Bandundu and Western Kasai regions.
They are mainly farmers and breeders.
During their migrations, they have enhanced their traditions and customs.
The Traditionnal Dances of Gungu festival, initiated by Midi à Gumama, brought from 1987 to 1989 hundreds of dancers and musicians from the villages around.
These villagers, one day’s arstists, contributed to keep lively Bapende traditions.
Some have walked more than sixty kilometers to come in Gungu.
Dancers and musicians bands up to sixty persons performed their choregraphies held by the rythm of the percussions.
It’s also a rendez-vous of the initiation practices of traditionals rituals of the crossing from childhood to the adult world.
I have settled a daylight studio a bit apart of the festival and have invited the dancers and musicians to be photographied one by one in a documentary process.
The photographs have been done originaly on Ektachrome and Kodachrome film with a Hasselbald CM and Planar 80mm for the 120 film and a Nikon F2 and a 85mm Nikkor for the 135 mm film.
Scanned by Tim Parkin at Drumscanning UK
Printed in black and white on Epson with Ultrachrome inks on Innova Exhibition photo paper
Presented in a black alu frame 50/60cm with passe-partout
