Mwaka Kogwa took place on the 16th of July this year, and I couldn't miss the opportunity to witness this event once again. Last year was my first time there; it’s a festival that leaves you with unforgettable memories from its infamous banana stick battle and should not be missed if you’re around Zanzibar.

I was lucky this year to team up with my friends from Kuza Cave, who drove me there from Stone Town. After the event, they hosted a screening of a documentary about this celebration, as well as a discussion with locals, where I discovered many interesting facts. I’d definitely recommend getting in touch with them if you wish to attend the festival; it’s worth seeing in person!

Just like last year, the energy felt during the battle was strong. The contrast between the battle and what happens after is remarkable. First, you see men hitting each other violently with banana sticks, and as soon as they are “unarmed,” the fight stops and smiles appear. Despite most attendants being respectful and playing fair, the occasional post-fight argument happens.

I tried to get as close as I could to the action to get the best shots. Everything moves quickly, people push each other, and before you know it, you’re in the middle of the battle with people slapping each other over your head. Inevitably, I got hit a couple of times, but banana sticks are fairly painless; it just leaves a lot of juice on your hair, skin, clothes, and camera.

Unfortunately, the tradition itself is not very well documented, and there are conflicting theories found over the internet. The elders keep it alive, but it is feared that the younger generation might not uphold it the same way it used to be. Historically, the same celebration was held in Mombasa, Kenya, but eventually stopped due to only a few elders attending it. The islands of Pemba and Mafia also hold this celebration, but at a much smaller scale than the one held in Makunduchi, Zanzibar.

The banana stick battle is the main event, happening on the first day of this four-day celebration. People hit each other with banana stems to let go of grudges and anger from the past year. It also opposes the south of the village with the north. Only men participate in the fighting, while women dress up well and sing songs.

Only after the first president of Zanzibar, Abeid Amani Karume, took the lead of the country following the revolution of 1964, were banana sticks introduced. Before, wooden sticks were commonly used, but President Karume banned the use of hard objects for the fight in the festival.

For some reason, it was very hard to figure out the date of this year’s festival. I kept hearing different dates until the day before, when multiple people confirmed it was the following day. Apparently, the stars are read two weeks prior to find out the date of the celebration. The information trickles down from person to person. Don’t believe the date you find on the internet; it’s most definitely the wrong one. But what you can be sure of is that the festival takes place in the middle of July.

It is said that this tradition is shunned by the Islamic religion, which condemns its violence. But the locals hold dearly to it, and in the past decade, the government even embraced it as part of the local culture. Rumors say that despite their strong faith, the people participating in the battle use it as a day with exceptions to the rules of their religion. Swearing and cross-dressing are commonly seen during the event, which on other days would hardly be tolerated.

Once the battle is finished, participants flock to the sea to wash themselves off. There is a meaning associated with it, but I have to do some more research. Just like the rest of the festival, which I have no idea what is involved. The only other facts I know are that it involves burning a purposely built hut and eating a lot of food.

If you know anything else about Mwaka Kogwa or have any comments about my article, feel free to get in touch with me via e-mail at hi@raf.photography. I'll leave you with the short documentary about the festival.

Mwaka Kogwa is a yearly celebration held in Makunduchi on the island of Ugunja, Zanzibar in Tanzania. It is best known for its infamous banana stick battle. The mock battle takes place between men to vent their aggression from the past year.

The origins of this celebration are quite unclear as there are many conflicting theories. But it is commonly said to be an ancient Persian holiday to mark the New Year of their calendar.

This year, the celebration took place on the 17th of July. Living nearby, I took the opportunity, with some friends, to see this with my own eyes and snap some pictures.

The intensity of the fight and energy that could be felt is difficult to retranscribe in pictures. Finding yourself close to the battle, or even in the middle of it, will inevitably result in banana stick slaps.

Contenders only fight if both are armed with their sticks, otherwise they stop immediately. Accidents happen, and rare moments of anger can be spotted. But fights usually end with a smile, laughter or respectul handshake.

It's difficult to put in words the profound mark that my safari experience left on me. Seeing animals in their natural habitat, observe them from close, witness their behaviours. Tanzania has a lot to offer in terms of wildlife and beautiful landscapes. I was lucky to visit three national parks: Mkmomazi, Tarangire and Ngorongoro. All of them are unique in their own ways, offering a different experience despite having similar residents.

Below are a few shots from my Minolta with a colour film. Unfortunately some photos have light leaks.

Another set of photos from my Minolta, this time shot with a colour film. Some photos were taken in Zanzibar while some other ones in mainland Tanzania.

A few pictures shot with my Minolta XD-5 with a black and white film during my time in Zanzibar. Unfortunately some pictures have artifacts, not sure why...

A new and hopefully final attempt at publishing my photographs on the internet. I've been looking for a home for my photos and stories for a while. Many social medias like Instagram offer good tools to achieve this, but being not much of a social media guy, my options got quickly reduced. Add laziness to this and I got stuck in a limbo accumulating photos that no other eyes than mine have ever seen.

I take photographs to share moments and stories. The shutter hits when I witness something beautiful or worth sharing. As much as I shoot for myself, I wish to have an outlet where people can see my "work".

I stopped making excuses (or at least making less), got a Lightroom license, a solid pipeline for export and backup of photos and now a space to publish them. The only missing ingredient is time and patience, but the gap to getting my pictures out to the public is as small as it gets. Only time will tell if I'm able to keep up with publishing but for now, the motivation is here.