Benin's 50th

Here are a few pictures from the Independence day parade in Malanville today. The maine parade is in Porto Novo, the political capital of the country and since it is the 50th anniversary of independence from France it is guaranteed to be a huge party. The pictures below are mostly zangbetos and agunguns which are human manifestations of vodun spirits. They are much more common in southern Benin where vodun is more widely practiced (Malanville has a very large muslim population) so it was surprising to see them in our parade. Enjoy!