African Ceremonies - Hardcover

Beckwith, Carol; Fisher, Angela

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810942054 ISBN 13: 9780810942059

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, 1999

Synopsis

A stirring illustrated celebration of the vanishing tribal traditions of the African continent documents a wide range of ceremonies in words and pictures, including baby namings, initiations, weddings, harvest blessings, coronations, healing exorcisms, and funerals, among many others.

About this title

Review:

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 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. Two volumes, slipcased. 847 photographs in full color, 45 maps, 1011/4 x 1377/8" Subsidiary Rights: Selected by Book-of-the-Month Club Carol Beckwith And Angela Fisher, who collaborated on Abrams' African Ark, have been photo graph ing in Africa for 30 years. Beckwith grew up in Boston and is also co-author of Maasai and Nomads of Niger. Australian-born Angela Fisher is the author of Africa Adorned. Perio dicals such as National Geographic, Time, LIFE, People, The New York Times, and many others have reported on their achievements and featured their photographs. Beckwith and Fisher lecture frequently. They both live in London when not traveling. Malidoma Patrice Som, a native of Burkina Faso, holds doctorates from the Sorbonne in Paris and Brandeis University in Massachusetts. Som teaches, lectures, and conducts workshops in initiation rituals and shamanism around the world, and has published several books and audio tapes. He lives in Oakland, California.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0810942054
• ISBN 13: 9780810942059
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 744