When I arrived in Janjanbureh (Gambia), the young men had already been separated from their families and were living together in a camp, where the elders, sheltered by the sacred tree—usually a baobab—taught them respect, traditions, and values. The tension and anticipation were palpable: they knew that circumcision was near and that it would mark their passage into adulthood.
When Kankurang appeared, covered in bark and leaves, the ritual began: a dance of machetes and percussion that drove away evil spirits and taught community values. The drums shook the ground. The younger children, frightened, hid, while the adults sang and everyone breathed in unison.
It was not just a dance: it was a living ritual that protects, teaches, and unites the entire community.
Text and photographs: Sergio Hanquet
Video: Ángel Vallecillo
