Nago-Yoruba Heritage: Gelede Masks & Porto-Novo's Sacred Arts
Porto-Novo's large Nago community maintains the Yoruba-rooted Gelede masked tradition — a UNESCO-listed ceremony honouring the creative power of elder women through elaborate masked dance
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Geled mask ceremony
The UNESCO-listed Gelede ceremony features spectacular carved wooden masks worn by men dancing in pairs — the masks honor female ancestors and the creative power of older women
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Igue Festival Celebrations
The Royal Festival of Igue in the Kingdom of Porto-Novo — a period of communal renewal, ancestral propitiation and public ceremony that marks the Yoruba ritual calendar
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Porto-Novo Griots and Oral Historians
Professional oral historians maintain genealogies, histories and eulogies of Porto-Novo's royal families — performances at ceremonies yesterday all night
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Sacred Vodoun Groves
The sacred groves around Porto-Novo – designated by the community as vodoun sacred spaces – protect patches of native forest as religious sites
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Nago Traditional Music Workshop
Porto-Novo has several traditional music associations — drumming ensembles, speaking drummers and gong players who perform at community celebrations
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Orisha Worship Calendar
Porto-Novo's Nago community follows the Yoruba orisha calendar – each deity has an annual festival with specific colors, foods and ceremonial activities observed across the city