fishing festival in segou region, mali

[bubudi]

the sanke mon rite of collective fishing takes place in san in the segou region in mali, every second thursday of the seventh lunar month to commemorate the founding of the city. the ritual begins with the sacrifice of roosters and goats and offerings of the villagers to the spirits that inhabit the sanke pond. then, for 15 hours collective fishing takes place with nets of large and small mesh. it is immediately followed by a masquerade in the public square, in which appear the buwa dancers of san and the surrounding villages who wear traditional dress and a hat decorated with cowrie shells and feathers, and perform a special dance to the rhythm of drums. the rite of sanke mon traditionally marks the beginning of the wet season. it is also an expression of local culture through art and craftsmanship, knowledge and know-how tied to fisheries and water resources. it reinforces the collective values of social cohesion, solidarity and peace between communities. in recent years, it experienced a drop in popularity that threatens its existence. particular factors contributing to this phenomenon is ignorance of history and required importance of tradition, a progressive decrease in participation in ritual occasional accidents during its development and degradation of the sanke pond because of poor rains and the effects of urban development.

this 26 minute documentary was produced by unesco.