35 images Created 30 Apr 2018
Grande Marché de Bobo Dioulasso
Heading southwestward from the capital Ouagadougou 350km (220 mi) away, on the main road [5 hours by bus] you reach Bobo Dioulasso…. BURKINA FASO’s second largest city ..located in the Houet Province. Verdant landscape with a pleasing climate ..this wettest region of the country is the hub of Burkina’s agricultural belt, thriving cotton industry, and a major trade center.
In “Bobo” you will see remnants of a traditional living and customs alongside reminders of a colonial past…. on the streets, in the architecture, the dress, the day-to-day ..and in the Bobo Dioulasso Grande Marché.
Population: 537,938 (Est.).
Ethnic groups: Bobo, Bwaba, Fulani, Senufo, Gurunsi, and Lobi.
Le Grande Marché de Bobo Dioulasso
..is a walled pavilion that occupies a large area (roughly the size of three New York City blocks) consisting malls, halls, aisles, and passageways where hundreds of shops; semi-closed stalls; and open-air stalls spill out onto the surrounding streets that make up an entire market zone.
Massive ..this walled market’s interior is a maze, dimly lit by in some spaces ..or brightly illuminate by ambient daylight in others. At every bend the air is filled with the sweet smell of churai (artisanal incense) from various stalls along with fragrances burnt by churai makers to advertise their workshops…. the Grande Marché is alive with sellers, traders, and a constant flow of shoppers from as far away as Mali and Côte d’Ivoire. From every direction is a hum of activity as the business of haggling, exchanging of community news and gossip, blends with the sounds of warm greetings between family, friends, and tribes
Nearly everything you would need or want can be found ..or arranged for in the Grande Marché…. From fresh fish and meats; to electronics and cellphones; tailors making traditional clothing alongside shops selling the latest (made in China) Western fashions; every possible beauty product; and the occasional hustlers hawking watches and fine gold jewelry
Spent a lot of time in Bobo Dioulasso ..often visiting the Grande Marché ..a little shopping, mingling, and of course making photographs…. hanging out on the street where the women who ran the vegetable market are set up was one of my favorite spots ..especially Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, late afternoons till sundown when the crowds peaked.
..in 2011 I spent December through the New Year celebration of 2012 in Bobo with my dear friend Aley Sangare, wife Medina, and their three children. Medina frequented the Grande Marché and of course I grabbed my camera, a handful of film, and tagged along…. Each visit, Medina took a different entrance into the bustling pavilion with the intention of exposing me to another fascinating view ..plus, she loved to shop!
..and on a few evenings, Aley cruised the market where at any moment I’d stop the car…. jump out ..and shoot preplanned or completely unexpected photos! My photographic affair with the Le Grande Marché de Bobo Dioulasso begins!
In “Bobo” you will see remnants of a traditional living and customs alongside reminders of a colonial past…. on the streets, in the architecture, the dress, the day-to-day ..and in the Bobo Dioulasso Grande Marché.
Population: 537,938 (Est.).
Ethnic groups: Bobo, Bwaba, Fulani, Senufo, Gurunsi, and Lobi.
Le Grande Marché de Bobo Dioulasso
..is a walled pavilion that occupies a large area (roughly the size of three New York City blocks) consisting malls, halls, aisles, and passageways where hundreds of shops; semi-closed stalls; and open-air stalls spill out onto the surrounding streets that make up an entire market zone.
Massive ..this walled market’s interior is a maze, dimly lit by in some spaces ..or brightly illuminate by ambient daylight in others. At every bend the air is filled with the sweet smell of churai (artisanal incense) from various stalls along with fragrances burnt by churai makers to advertise their workshops…. the Grande Marché is alive with sellers, traders, and a constant flow of shoppers from as far away as Mali and Côte d’Ivoire. From every direction is a hum of activity as the business of haggling, exchanging of community news and gossip, blends with the sounds of warm greetings between family, friends, and tribes
Nearly everything you would need or want can be found ..or arranged for in the Grande Marché…. From fresh fish and meats; to electronics and cellphones; tailors making traditional clothing alongside shops selling the latest (made in China) Western fashions; every possible beauty product; and the occasional hustlers hawking watches and fine gold jewelry
Spent a lot of time in Bobo Dioulasso ..often visiting the Grande Marché ..a little shopping, mingling, and of course making photographs…. hanging out on the street where the women who ran the vegetable market are set up was one of my favorite spots ..especially Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, late afternoons till sundown when the crowds peaked.
..in 2011 I spent December through the New Year celebration of 2012 in Bobo with my dear friend Aley Sangare, wife Medina, and their three children. Medina frequented the Grande Marché and of course I grabbed my camera, a handful of film, and tagged along…. Each visit, Medina took a different entrance into the bustling pavilion with the intention of exposing me to another fascinating view ..plus, she loved to shop!
..and on a few evenings, Aley cruised the market where at any moment I’d stop the car…. jump out ..and shoot preplanned or completely unexpected photos! My photographic affair with the Le Grande Marché de Bobo Dioulasso begins!
