The Gaani Festival of Nikki

Celebrated annually following the lunar Mawlid festival, the Gaani ('victory' in Baatonu) is Benin's grandest equestrian and cultural festival, drawing hundreds of thousands of celebrants from across the region to Nikki to renew allegiance to the Sinaboko. The crown jewel of the festival is the Wasangari royal horse parade: mounted upon magnificent stallions draped in gold-embroidered brocades, embossed leather, and brass amulets, warrior princes in colorful robes perform breathtaking galloping charges, halting on a dime directly before the imperial dais to raise their lances in royal tribute. Accompanied by the deep resonance of 3-meter brass Kakaki royal trumpets and ancestral drums, war dances, and praises sung by court griots, the Gaani stands as West Africa's most exhilarating celebration of regal equestrian heritage.