Dakar

Senegal was a French colony and the capital of all the African French countries. Not surprisingly there are some very smart colonial buildings. We only had a brief drive through the city on the way back from our day out but in many ways the tall apartment blocks and buildings seemed quite European. It was the traffic and colourful people that reminded us that we were in Africa.
We had been invited to a festival, put on in our honour, in a village on the outskirts of Dakar. Greeted by the village Queen, who kept the crowds of excited children in order with a stick, we were guided to a side street adjoining the busy main road where plastic chairs had been set out against one of the walls of the surrounding grey concrete buildings. There were some drummers, a musician with an African stringed instrument and a male singer with a microphone. What followed was special. We could see from the reaction of the 50 or so children who were allowed to watch from the sides that this was not something they were used to.
Three male dancers dressed in full costume, face paints and head masks danced and jumped to the music in the most energetic and provocative ways. Their faces changed expressions showing challenge and aggression. The women also danced and sang. There was some fire eating and the children were encouraged to chant and sing. This was the highlight of the day and not at all the setting or display we had expected. It was obviously very genuine and we had been honoured.
It is interesting to note that the children in Senegal were not allowed to hustle or pressurise visitors, whereas in The Gambia, it was encouraged. The adults however were a little more persistent.Read more