An Hour Before the Ngondo

The air in Deido on December 3rd, 2023, was thick with anticipation. My friends and I were part of the vibrant crowd flowing towards the Wouri River, all of us waiting to witness the Ngondo festival. More than just the famous pirogue race, the Ngondo is a profound celebration of Sawa culture, a moment that federates the entire community. As a photographer, I find that the most telling stories often happen on the sidelines of the main event.

While waiting for a boat to take us onto the river, my eyes were drawn to a quiet scene. A man in an elegant hat was sitting on the hull of an old boat with his two young children. He held up his phone, framing the three of them in a selfie. It was a simple, modern act of memory-making set against the backdrop of an ancient tradition. He was documenting his family’s place in their own heritage, a beautiful intersection of past and present. The background wasn’t a perfect landscape, but an authentic slice of life in Douala, which made the moment even more real.

I raised my camera, not to intrude, but to capture the story of a story being created. I called it antiportrait. It felt more genuine than any posed shot I could have orchestrated. This scene perfectly captured what I seek in my work: the authentic, unscripted moments that reveal our shared humanity. The grand spectacle of the Ngondo is powerful, but for me another inspiring story that day was this quiet expression of family, a testament to how we lovingly record our own histories.