African Ceremonies

Amazon.com
By a recent count, the continent of Africa comprises some 1,300 cultures. Some of them number millions of people, some only a few families; some are thriving, while others are in danger of disappearing, the victims of acculturation or, in extreme cases, of genocide. This diversity--and the dangers to it--is little known outside Africa. Photographers Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher highlight both matters in African Ceremonies, an extraordinary two-volume collection of some 850 full-color images. The two artists have traveled to almost all the continent's 53 countries in the last three decades, documenting traditional tribal life in earlier books and articles for National Geographic, among other publications. Here they focus on the religious customs of several dozen peoples, combining stunning images with well-written essays to illustrate the enduring power of traditional beliefs.

Among the book's finest moments are a record of the Fulani cattle crossing, when for 10 days young males drive their herds across the wide Niger River to receive gifts from their grateful compatriots; a sequence showing a healing ceremony of the Himba people of Namibia and Angola, whose "wild women," possessed by lion spirits, are riveting actors on the page; and a remarkable series of photographs of Wodaabe courtship dancers, who compete to attract wives by charming them with exaggerated smiles and the skilled use of cosmetics. The authors note that, as women, they entered places men never could--and as foreigners, they were also often welcomed as "honorary males" and allowed to witness male-only ceremonies. Many of these rites are in danger of extinction as old ways are forgotten and in some cases suppressed. Beckwith and Fisher have captured them before it's too late. Beautifully designed and manufactured, African Ceremonies makes a fine companion to Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s Wonders of the African World, and invites leisurely reading--and constant revisiting. --Gregory McNamee


From Publishers Weekly
From the collaborative team behind four award-winning books on Africa (Africa Adorned; Maasai; Nomads of Niger; and African Ark) comes an outstanding two-volume survey of the continent's rituals, rites and ceremonies. Divided into six sectionsAbirth and initiation; courtship and marriage; royalty and power; seasonal rites; beliefs and worship; spirits and ancestorsAthe set documents 43 ceremonies in 26 countries. In addition to the more than 800 arresting color photographs, the text respectfully details each ceremony (including controversial ones, such as Maasai clitoridectomy). The authors lived with each of the groups they photographed; their bonds with their subjects are apparent in the images, which drive home the point that these ceremonies are simply conducted by ordinary people with different traditions than ours. Thus, young Taneka men dancing before a circumcision look nervous; Kassena mothers gaze lovingly at their babies as they are shaved during naming ceremonies; and Krobo girls preparing for coming-of-age dances look as cheerful as teenagers at a prom. Because masks, textiles, jewelry, sculptures and body painting often have a prominent role in rites, the books also highlight the diverse beauty of Africa's traditional arts. Ten years in the making, the volumes also represent an important anthropological achievementAsome of the rituals have never been seen by outsiders and many others are disappearing under the cumulative pressure of drought, famine, political upheaval and Western influence. 45 maps. BOMC selection; 8-city author tour. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
A spectacular visual record of traditional rituals, this is perhaps the ultimate coffee-table book on African cultures. Renowned photographers Beckwith (Nomads of Niger) and Fisher (Africa Adorned) organize the chapters in the first volume by life-cycle rituals--birth, marriage, and death--an arrangement that doesn't work as well for the second volume, which functions more as a collection of miscellany. Each chapter consists of introductory text and a half-dozen or so photo essays featuring rituals in specific cultures from all regions of Africa. As in the best National Geographic articles, the text is brief, well written, and clearly aimed at a general audience (as are the extensive photo captions). But, unquestionably, it is the excellent color photos that make these volumes valuable to lay reader and scholar alike, especially because many of these rituals may soon disappear from a changing Africa. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.-Eugene C. Burt, Seattle Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


The New York Times Book Review, K. Anthony Appiah
These are sumptuous photographs--a visual feast--and they reflect both the photographers' gift for gaining the trust of their subjects and the reciprocal generosity of all sorts of African men and women.


From Scientific American
Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher spent the past 10 years living and traveling in 26 African countries, gathering material for this monumental two-volume set. They photographed 43 ceremonies that span the human life cycle-from birth, through initiation, courtship, marriage, royal coronations, seasonal rituals and healing exorcisms, to death. By living among the people, learning their languages, eating their foods and adapting to their pace of life, the women were able to witness ceremonies that might never have been recorded. Many of the traditions chronicled in African Ceremonies will disappear with the next generation. Organized into sections corresponding to the cycle of life are nearly 850 full-color photographs. Some are an imposing 14 by 20 inches; all are stunning. Beckwith and Fisher introduce each section with a concise, informative essay. But it is the pictures that do the talking.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The photography of Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher is an intimate exploration of the African continent. Their lifelong commitment to documenting African cultures has resulted in a number of award-winning books: Maasai, The Nomads of Niger, Africa Adorned, and African Ark. Beckwith and Fisher's latest visually arresting masterpiece is African Ceremonies, a two-volume collection chronicling the beautiful, exotic, and disappearing rituals of African peoples.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In four previous books, acclaimed photographers Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher have documented vanishing tribal customs in Africa-and won an enormous following. Now, after nearly a decade of travel and research, they have created their masterwork-a monumental two-volume exploration of traditional African rites and rituals. Spanning the continent, Beckwith and Fisher open our eyes to scores of exotic and wondrous ceremonies-baby namings, initiations, weddings, harvest blessings, coronations, healing exorcisms, and funerals, among others. Many of these rituals will never be performed again; few have been pictured and described with the intimacy, knowledge, and skill of Beckwith and Fisher. Overflowing with nearly 850 magnificent color photographs, African Ceremonies is one of the most important works on Africa ever published.

FROM THE CRITICS

Essence Magazine

In African Ceremonies, the faces shown are those of our long-lost relatives. It is a joy to make their acquaintance again in this extraordinary book. It is an heirloom that you'll treasure forever.

K. Anthony Appiah - New York Times Book Review

hese are sumptuous photographs -- a visual feast -- and they reflect both the photographers' gift for gaining the trust of their subjects and the reciprocal generosity of all sorts of African men and women...

Publishers Weekly

From the collaborative team behind four award-winning books on Africa (Africa Adorned; Maasai; Nomads of Niger; and African Ark) comes an outstanding two-volume survey of the continent's rituals, rites and ceremonies. Divided into six sections--birth and initiation; courtship and marriage; royalty and power; seasonal rites; beliefs and worship; spirits and ancestors--the set documents 43 ceremonies in 26 countries. In addition to the more than 800 arresting color photographs, the text respectfully details each ceremony (including controversial ones, such as Maasai clitoridectomy). The authors lived with each of the groups they photographed; their bonds with their subjects are apparent in the images, which drive home the point that these ceremonies are simply conducted by ordinary people with different traditions than ours. Thus, young Taneka men dancing before a circumcision look nervous; Kassena mothers gaze lovingly at their babies as they are shaved during naming ceremonies; and Krobo girls preparing for coming-of-age dances look as cheerful as teenagers at a prom. Because masks, textiles, jewelry, sculptures and body painting often have a prominent role in rites, the books also highlight the diverse beauty of Africa's traditional arts. Ten years in the making, the volumes also represent an important anthropological achievement--some of the rituals have never been seen by outsiders and many others are disappearing under the cumulative pressure of drought, famine, political upheaval and Western influence. 45 maps. BOMC selection; 8-city author tour. (Nov.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

A spectacular visual record of traditional rituals, this is perhaps the ultimate coffee-table book on African cultures. Renowned photographers Beckwith (Nomads of Niger) and Fisher (Africa Adorned) organize the chapters in the first volume by life-cycle rituals--birth, marriage, and death--an arrangement that doesn't work as well for the second volume, which functions more as a collection of miscellany. Each chapter consists of introductory text and a half-dozen or so photo essays featuring rituals in specific cultures from all regions of Africa. As in the best National Geographic articles, the text is brief, well written, and clearly aimed at a general audience (as are the extensive photo captions). But, unquestionably, it is the excellent color photos that make these volumes valuable to lay reader and scholar alike, especially because many of these rituals may soon disappear from a changing Africa. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.--Eugene C. Burt, Seattle Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

The Economist