Pair of masked dancers during a Gelede performance, Meko, Nigeria

"A typical Gelede performance has two phases, a night concert and an afternoon dance session. In the afternoon sessions, colorfully attired performers entertain the public with intricate dances. The headdresses are usually danced in pairs, jingling their metal anklets (aro) to rhyme with the drum beats. Although it performs in a variety of social and religious contexts, the ultimate goal of the Gelede performance is to promote peace and happiness on earth." [Lawal B., 2004: The World is Fragile... Life Should Not Be Lived with Force: a Yoruba Headdress (Igi Gelede Onijakadi), See the Music, Hear the Dance, Prestel]. "Gelede imagery evokes all aspects of Yoruba society. The masks refer to a wide variety of female and male roles and activities either in objects associated with such roles or in genre scenes depicting them. They also depict animals that serve as metaphors for human actions or as illustrations of popular proverbs and songs that accompany the mask's appearance." [Drewal H. J., Pemberton J., Rowland Abiodun, 1989: Yoruba. Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought, Harry N. Abrams Inc.]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Westinghouse Film and traveled to Africa from October 26, 1970 to end of March 1971.