Soul of Africa - Kenyan tribal life

Kenya's multitude of indigenous tribes follow their traditional customs, languages and religions, that have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. Theirs is a spartan existence with some of the customs seeming rather brutal to western eyes, yet they retain an inner contentment and radiate serenity. The colourful dress and makeup, worn by the male warriors as well as the women is their daily norm, and not to impress outsiders. The grace and beauty of both women and men is undeniable. We feel very honoured and humbled to have had the opportunity to spend time with several tribes, visiting them in their villages, following their day-to-day lives and being some of the few outsiders warmly welcomed into the Turkana tribal festival. The Kenyan government set up this festival to counter tribal warfare that often besets the country during drought periods, when grazing land becomes poor and goats from one tribe wander into lands claimed by other tribes. There had been plenty of rain this year and the tribes were coexisting harmoniously. It was an amazing experience to document the character of these wonderful peoples, capturing the tracks of weather and time, etched into lined faces. This project tries to capture something of the spirit and personality of these beautiful peoples.