Obama in Cape Town

The roots of the New Year’s Carnival, in Cape Town, South Africa, stretch back over 200 years, to the days of slavery and colonialism.  In its modern form, it’s been a much anticipated annual event for over a century.  Each year, the Carnival troupes--there are over 60 of them--choose a theme.  This year, the Atlantis Community Entertainers choose celebrate the election of Barack Obama.

This was by no means the only example of Obamamania that I saw in South Africa, in December and January.  Many South Africans, of all colors, admire him.  This is partly a genuine response to Obama’s charisma and message of hope and partly a symptom of South Africans’ unhappiness with the current crop of political leaders.

I made these photos of the Carnival troupes--the Kaapse Klopse, as they’re sometimes called--on 3 January 2009, during the troupes’ annual march through central Cape Town.  They're part of a book that I'm working on about the Carnival.

As you might guess from the last photo, there’s at least one South African politician who’s still everyone’s hero:  Nelson Mandela.

Comments

[Laure]

Is the second photo - the guys with painted faces - a representation of the ubiquitous campaign Shepard Fairey poster of Obama ? Beautiful photos

[John Edwin Mason]

@Laure

Shepard Fairey? I'm guessing not. I didn't see the poster at all in Cape Town, when I was there. The colors are actually the colors of the troupes uniforms. Thanks for commenting.

[Laure]

who took the pix of you (at top right)?

[John Mason]

@Laure

It's a self-portrait, if you want to call it that.

[Jonathan]

Fabulous photos! You've got a real eye for the beauty of both machines and people!!

[John Edwin Mason]

@Jonathan

Thanks very much. Glad that you see the beauty in those Pro-Mods.

[Paul Adam Whitehead]

John- Beautiful pictures. My father owned a Rolleicord
and I've been printing some of his pictures from the
late 40s to the early 60s. I'll show them to you some day... Keep up the outstanding and committed work...