Portraits du Sénégal

September 2022 on 35mm Film

My love for Senegal gets more profound with each visit because of their hospitality, also known as Teranga in Wolof (A language widely spoken in Senegal). I do not speak French or Wolof, but I feel connected to the people, culture, food, and vibe. Senegal reminds me of my home Caribbean Island of Jamaica, and thus feel at home each time I visit. On a trip in 2022 for The Grand Magal (Celebration) of Touba, one of the most famous pilgrimages in the world and the most prominent Muslim gathering in West Africa, I captured some friends and strangers along the way.

Dakar

Senegalese shoe cleaner sitting on a bench working as a street shoe shiner, displaying shoe polish and tools, with an array of belts and wallets on a wooden stand beside him.
Senegalese man sitting at a sewing machine with white fabric, wearing a patterned shirt, in a room with wooden paneling.
Senegalese man wearing a tie-dye shirt in an outdoor setting with colorful art in the background.
Senegalese bus driver wearing a red striped shirt sitting in a vehicle, holding the steering wheel, with a reflective expression and an urban environment visible outside the window.
Senegalese artist standing next to a painting of a man in traditional attire with a turban and glasses in an artist's studio.
Senegalese man holding vintage camera with wires in foreground, wearing traditional clothing, outdoors on a sunny day.
Smiling senegalese girl wearing a blue patterned dress with short sleeves, standing indoors beside a white wall.
Senegalese girl wearing a blue and purple patterned dress with a matching hijab against a plain background.
Person wearing sunglasses and a striped polo shirt posing with a fist raised against a gray background.
Senegalese girl smiling, wearing a pink scarf and black sleeveless top with partial word 'BEAUTIFUL,' making a heart shape with hands, near water and blurred buildings in background.

Touba

Gorée

People swimming and playing in a body of water during the day, with a Senegalese man in the foreground.
Two senegalese boys in swim trunks sitting in shallow water, surrounded by rocks.
Senegalese woman wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat and a colorful tie-dye shirt, sitting outdoors with blurred background of buildings and trees.
Senegalese girl wearing a white shirt and black headscarf, sitting against a pink wall, holding a smartphone.
Young senegalese boy in a red soccer jersey holding a worn soccer ball outdoors, standing on sandy ground with trees in the background.
Senegalese boy holding the Senegalese flag by the ocean.
Senegalese lady wearing orange and green patterned clothing and headscarf, standing next to a stone wall outdoors.
Senegalese men wearing blue traditional attire with a turban and a red bag, standing against a plain background.