Mandinga Carnival

The popular Mandinga Carnival was born in the forty’s at Ribeira Bote, a poor and problematic neighborhood on the city of Mindelo, Cap vert. In the following 4 Sundays before Mardi gras, men and women gather, and grease their bodies with kitchen oil, and rub all over them, battery powder,until they are really black. Then, in top of this toxic mixture they decorate themselves with feathers, necklaces, bracelets and everything they can think of. As creole people they revive like that their black origins, creating the figure of king Mandinga, an ethnics from west Africa This photography’s were made during 2017 Carnival. The people of Ribeira Bote live the Carnival in a very enthusiastic way, drinking a lot, while they invent their style. Entering at Ribeira Bote neighbourhood was not simple, being a white woman, but with the help of a friend and some talk, I as then very welcome and they were very proud and happy to show of themselves. Some of the pictures were taken during the night, while others in the mix of much confusion and sun light, so I made the esthetical option of cutting the background, creating more unity and give more focus on their amazing expressions