FÊTE DE LA GANI

In December, the Gani festival takes place in Nikki for seven days. Initially animist, its rites are unchanging. The Bariba king of Nikki receives gifts from all the chiefs of his kingdom as well as from the other Bariba kings of Kouandé, Kandi, and Banikoara, who show him their respect and even their allegiance. The Gnon Kogui, a respectable woman, enthrones the young princes by shaving their heads and blessing them. During the festival, the royal attributes, sacred drums and copper trumpets, accompany the famous Bariba cavalry.