A Djenné New Year

Christmas and Maoloud (the celebration of the birth of  Mohammed) coincided perfectly this year for the first time since the sixteenth century apparently. Djenné always resembles an illustrated childrens’ Bible of the Holy Land and this impression has been magnified this year by the melodious  Fatias (sung Koran recitals) which have been  held day and night at the numerous Koran schools and traditional Djenné homes during this festive season. It was all supposed to be over on the 30^th of January, but seemingly unstoppable  the recitals have continued and even this morning before first light I could hear the sound of a multitude of chanting male voices which travelled across from some Djenné Koran school.

 I was invited to one of these Fatias yesterday, held at the Koran School and home of the Tomagnan family.  It is rare to be invited to one of these events and  Keita, as an ‘outsider’ born in Kayes  has never been to a Djenné Fatia. The Tomagnan family  are the owners of quite an important manuscript collection which they have entrusted to the Djenné Manuscript Library, and I guess that is why I was invited.

 

I always go when if I am asked, although it is of course a very male affair with the women only allowed to watch on the side- I climbed the mud stairs of the two storey  traditional mud  building and photographed the event from above in the company of these young girls who were very excited about  my camera.

The older women are either sitting apart listening to the reading or in the kitchen preparing the customary sweet dough nuts which I was given on my way home.

In the evening Keita and I decided to get dressed up and celebrated a quiet New Years Eve with some of his friends from the hospital and today he left for Segou. Birgit is still here and tomorrow our old friend Andrea from Brazil is arriving so no time to mope around feeling lonely...