"Since I started wearing this Zaouli mask in 2021, there has been a change in my life. // Since I started wearing this mask, I left my previous job as a welder. The mask has fed me, the dance has fed ...

OUIDAH, Benin (AP) — As children dance with great speed and energy in colorful robes, guided by the drumbeats and chants from dance troupes, the gods and spirits that are evident all around the arena ...

A procession of the Ekasa dancers will dance across various Queen mothers’ traditional worship sites, including Iyoba Ikuoyemwen’s statue at Five Junction in Benin. Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin, ...

The two national treasures, including wooden and bronze stools, were handed over to the monarch by the National Commission for Museum and Monument (NCMM) on Friday, May 17, 2024. They were said to ...

THE installation rites of the Oba of Benin continued yesterday with the Ogbelaka and Eguadase groups commencing a special spiritual dance, called Ekassa, on their way to the Usama Palace where the ...

PORTO NOVO, Benin (AP) — A traditional mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin, showcases the country’s unique face masks and full-body costumes, that are tied to ancient customs and traditions. Disputed ...

The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has performed the ancient Ugie Emobo purification rite aimed at dispelling evil forces and cleansing the land. The ritual, one of the high points of the ongoing Igue ...

This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2026 shows locals dressed in traditional costumes during the Vodun Days in Ouidah, Benin. The 2026 edition of Vodun Days is held from Jan. 8 to 10 in Ouidah, a historic ...

OUIDAH, Benin — As children dance with great speed and energy in colorful robes, guided by the drumbeats and chants from dance troupes, the gods and spirits that are evident all around the arena are ...