La Lutte: Yekini vs. Bombardier

Happy 2011 tout le monde! :)

First blog post of the year is about a sport here in Senegal that my host family (and many others in Senegal) are crazy about: La Lutte aka Wrestling. On January 2nd, there was a big match between 2 popular wrestlers here in Senegal, Yekini and Bombardier.  {On a random side thought, I actually saw Yekini during my Christmas week in Dakar with my brother Djiby.  Yekini was massive! He was walking out of a gym near the beach when I saw him, and I knew instantly that he was one of Senegal's beloved lutteurs.} So this is the first time that I actually saw one of these matches.  My family was so excited about it; everywhere I went people asked me if I was going to watch the wrestling match tonight. When the time came, my cousin Julde came knocking on my door yelling, "Salimatu, the match is about to start! Are you coming?!?" (all said in Pulaar of course).  I hurried to the room with the t.v. (yes, my family has electricity) and sat down to see what all the fuss was about.  My initial thoughts were probably a little judgemental: Big giant men that are like the equivalent to a Sumo wrestler walking around in granny panties and weird African jewlery participating in an African dance party before fighting. They paraded around before entering the ring pouring weird liquids over their heads and down their bodies, liquids that looked like used cooking oil, motor oil, prune juice, cake batter, or a combination of all? When the match began, they would paw at each other softly like playing cats for what seems like 20 minutes, and the real action of punching and wrestling only lasts for what seems like 1 minute, if even that.  Yes, I thought it was really weird......

Photograph by Beatrix Jourdan: http://www.beatrixjourdan.com/

So I decided to ask my family to explain this beloved sport to me.  Apparently Senegalese wrestling is an old tradition and a big part of the culture.  There is a big spirtual side to the sport (much like everything else here), so I wasn't too surprised.  Before the wrestlers start the match, they partake in various spiritual rituals and ceremonies, hence the dousing of strange liquids all over their bodies.  The wrestlers consult with a "marabout" or what would be a witch doctor equivalent (there are quite a few people who use them in my region!)  The wrestlers will dance around the arena doing traditional dances wearing their "gris gris" (that's what we call it down here in the pulaar regions).  Gris Gris are basically amulets (bracelets, necklaces, belts, etc).  They wear them around their legs, arms, waist, neck, etc.  The gris gris is suppossed to protect the wrestler from evil spirits and the witchcraft/magic of other wrestlers, and they also contain magical powers that will help the wrestler win. After the marabouts give the wrestlers the gris gris and say special prayers and chants, the wrestlers pour the "liquids" on them, which are magical too. The marabouts prepare the magical liquid from his own special recipe....I don't think anyone but the marabouts really know what that liquid is? When this spiritual preparation is over, then the wrestlers are ready to fight. :) I really had no idea wrestling involved so much?  Now that I understand it better, I find it to be a little more interesting. It's amazing how much people here are into the spiritual side of things; I'm finding that out more and more everyday. :) 


Photograph by Beatrix Jourdan: http://www.beatrixjourdan.com/



Well, my family was happy that their favorite wrestler, Yekini won, and I was happy to make it through my first Senegalese wrestling match. It's probably something I don't have the desire to watch again, but then again, I've never been interested in wrestling.  After watching the match I felt a little ashamed for judging the sport so harshly in the begining, I mean, C'mon!, we have WWF in America, and that's just bad t.v. all around. :p

Photograph by Beatrix Jourdan: http://www.beatrixjourdan.com/

Check it out!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoWxnUXRLw8