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The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia / Augustin Le Gall
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TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323995.jpg
Sitting on the windowsill overlooking the Mediterranean, Riadh rests while waiting for the night when the ceremony will begin.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323994.jpg
Riadh in the spirit chamber of the Sidi Ali Lasmar sanctuary. He knows that with the disappearance of the sanctuary, his entire life and art are threatened, and with him a whole part of the spiritual heritage of the black community in Tunisia.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323993.jpg
Riadh Ezzawech
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323992.jpg
Altar dedicated to spirits in the sanctuary of Sidi Ali Al Mekki
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323991.jpg
In a moment of calm, Riadh regains his composure. The ritual can be quite intense and physical for him. At many points, his body is put through a severe test during trances that can be quite violent. Sidi Ali Lasmar Sanctuary. Tunis.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323990.jpg
Scene of a woman in a trance while musicians play spirit music
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323989.jpg
Numerous spirits violently invade Riadh's body. A few minutes after the chants dedicated to the spirits of the sea, one of the spirits suddenly appears and throws Riadh's body against the walls several times.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323988.jpg
A woman emerges from her trance during a Stambali cult ceremony honoring the Black spirits at a family's home in the Black community of Tunis. Each family has its own way of celebrating Stambali. Some are connected to specific spirits that they honor annually. This scene depicts a trance during a ceremony at a family's home in the suburbs of Tunis, where they invoke African spirits during a ritual.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323987.jpg
A woman is in a trance during a private party in Sidi Bou Said.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323986.jpg
Master musician Salah Ouargli begins playing the music of the spirit Doudou Brahim while a woman enters a trance. Salah is one of the last three musicians who still play the stambali. Sanctuary of Sidi Ali Lasmar, Tunis.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323985.jpg
Riadh is in a trance with the spirit of Sidi Abdessalem at the Sidi Ali Lasmar zawiya in the Medina of Tunis. This spirit always appears at the beginning of the ceremony. He is one of the most important Muslim saints in the ritual. With fire, he blesses the followers and predicts their future to advise them. The stambali has been able to endure by adapting to Muslim religious practices. The ritual venerates both Muslim saints and African spirits.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323984.jpg
Riadh is in a trance with the spirit of Sidi Abdelsalem, in a family home in La Marsa, an affluent suburb of Tunis. This spirit always appears at the beginning of the ceremony. He is one of the most important Muslim saints in the ritual and among the host of spirits that Riadh invokes. With fire, he blesses the devotees and foretells their future, offering them guidance. He circles in the sacred space where the musicians perform.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323983.jpg
Nefta, July 2, 2018.
Annual celebration of Saint Sidi Marzoug by the Black communities of Tunisia in Nefta, in southern Tunisia. Every year, many followers of the Banga-Stambali community gather to celebrate Saint Sidi Marzoug, a Black saint descended from slaves in Tunisia.
Annual celebration of Saint Sidi Marzoug by the Black communities of Tunisia in Nefta, in southern Tunisia. Every year, many followers of the Banga-Stambali community gather to celebrate Saint Sidi Marzoug, a Black saint descended from slaves in Tunisia.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323982.jpg
An assistant to Riadh throws incense into the "kanoun," a small brazier, before the start of a mediumistic consultation ceremony. There are five distinct phases, taking place at various times, but all linked and forming part of a progression meant to lead the patient to healing: the consultation; a rite of mediumistic identification; the musical diagnosis; the cultic affiliation; the sacrifice; and the ritual alliance ceremony (stambali).
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323981.jpg
Ceremony, Stambali Slimane
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323980.jpg
A scene of trance during a ceremony at the home of a family in the Black community of a suburb of Tunis
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323979.jpg
Master musician Salah Ouargli begins the first chants of the ritual with the spirit Doudou Brahim.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323978.jpg
Riadh is in a trance with the royal spirit Yarima, representing wisdom, power, and authority. The arifa sits on a throne and has donned royal regalia during his trance. He smokes a cigarette and will blow the smoke onto the followers to ensure their success and wealth. But he can also deliver a warning against forgetting a sacrifice promised to a supernatural entity.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323977.jpg
Master Hamadi Bidali was one of the last great musical masters of Stambali. Upon his death in 2016, a large part of the Stambali repertoire disappeared due to a lack of transmission.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323976.jpg
A ritual around the altar dedicated to spirits in a family's medina home. Each family, followers of Stambali, sometimes has its own ritual. Here, the followers circle the altar carrying a dish of couscous, which the assembly will then eat.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323975.jpg
Spirit altar in a domestic ceremony. Tunis
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323974.jpg
In the tomb of the saint Sidi Mahzoug, in the Nefta palm grove, Riadh lights candles in honor of the patron saint of Nefta's Black communities. Every year, Benga musical troupes organize a pilgrimage in honor of this saint to gain his favor and perpetuate the memory of this sacred figure linked to the sub-Saharan populations of southern Tunisia. Nefta, March 12, 2018
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323973.jpg
Riadh lights candles to prepare for a ritual he is organizing in the shrine of Sidi Ali el Mekki, in honor of the saints of the shrine.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323972.jpg
Numerous animal sacrifices take place during the rituals, each spirit having its own animal with a specific color. Here, the color yellow and the hen are for the spirit MaGagia, the main spirit of Riadh.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323971.jpg
Riadh prepares his ritual at the Sidi Ali Lasmar zaouia. Before the followers arrive, he lights the candles on the altar of the jnouns (spirits).
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323970.jpg
Riadh is preparing for a ritual ceremony in the Beit Mlouks (literally lake chamber of spirits) in the zaouai Sidi Ali Lasmar. Medina of Tunis.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323969.jpg
Stambali Ritual of Tunisia
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323968.jpg
Riadh is in a trance with the spirit of African origin, Baba Kouri. Certain parts of the ritual are reserved for a small group of followers and must remain secret from the public. Sidi Ali Lasmar, Tunis. One becomes an arif or arifa during an initiation ceremony, which allows the initiate to tame the initially disruptive spirit and make it cooperative. The medium is then able to call upon it at will, at the appropriate time for the consultation and divination.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323967.jpg
Stambali Ritual of Tunisia. Chicken used for sacrifice.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323965.jpg
Most Stambali practitioners are women. Here, a female practitioner (on the left) and the kajakas (Riadh's assistants during the ritual) prepare the chickens that will be sacrificed to the spirits at the Sidi Ali Lasmar shrine in Tunis.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323964.jpg
A follower of Stambali brings incense before the Sha'ban ritual in Riadh. Every year, Riadh must organize its own ritual to attest to its rank of initiate. Sidi Ali Lasmar, Tunis.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323963.jpg
The ceremony begins in the afternoon with a procession through the streets of the Medina, calling followers to go to the shrine dedicated to the stambali.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / Kharja of the Stambali for the Mawled
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323962.jpg
A man is in a trance during the Mawlid religious ceremony. Sidi Mahrez Sanctuary; Medina of Tunis
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323961.jpg
Nefta, July 2, 2018.
Annual celebration of Saint Sidi Marzoug by the Black communities of Tunisia in Nefta, in southern Tunisia. Every year, many followers of the Banga-Stambali community gather to celebrate Saint Sidi Marzoug, a Black saint descended from slaves in Tunisia.
Annual celebration of Saint Sidi Marzoug by the Black communities of Tunisia in Nefta, in southern Tunisia. Every year, many followers of the Banga-Stambali community gather to celebrate Saint Sidi Marzoug, a Black saint descended from slaves in Tunisia.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323960.jpg
Many Tunisians came to stroll with the various Stambali troupes during the Mawlid religious festival in the Medina of Tunis.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323959.jpg
Procession of Stambali and Banga troops for the Mawlid celebration. Medina of Tunis, October 2021
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323958.jpg
Religious celebration in the streets of the old city of Tunis, by the brotherhoods of the black communities who came from different cities of Tunisia to celebrate the religious festival of Mawled, marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323957.jpg
Mask of Bou Saadiya, mythical character of Stambali from Niger and the gougaï instrument, played by former slaves of the black community.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323956.jpg
The goat that will be sacrificed at the beginning of the Shabanya ceremony.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323955.jpg
A musician from Riadh's troupe looks out at the Mediterranean from the shrine of Sidi Al Mekki. Bizerte region.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323954.jpg
Riadh prepares the incense that will be used in a private ceremony. Every part of the ceremony is prepared by Riadh to ensure that all elements are perfect.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323953.jpg
Many spirits are appeased through animal sacrifices chosen according to their identity. Here, a light yellow hen will be offered to Magagia, the principal spirit of Riadh.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323952.jpg
Knife used in the sacrifice of a goat in a sanctuary dedicated to Stambali. Sidi Ali El Mekki, Ghar El Mellah.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323951.jpg
Before a sacrifice, Riadh blesses a teenager, along with the goat, for whom the family organizes a ritual. Mental illness is often one of the reasons for seeking out a Stambali. These illnesses are explained by the presence of spirits that interact in human lives. To free their victim, they demand reparation in the form of a sacrificial offering and a musical ceremony of alliance. The ritual then serves as group psychotherapy. In addition to the afflicted person, the entire family shares in the illness and its healing.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323949.jpg
A follower of the banga dance performs during the Stambali pilgrimage for the Mouled festival, celebrating the Prophet Muhammad's birthday. Since 2017, Riadh has been working to raise the community's profile during national religious celebrations. Many annual pilgrimages had disappeared due to the high cost for the community and the passing of elders. These events, a blend of religious celebrations and cultural activities, are breathing new life into the ritual, now considered intangible cultural heritage.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323948.jpg
Nefta, July 2, 2018.
Annual celebration of Saint Sidi Marzoug by the Black communities of Tunisia in Nefta, in southern Tunisia. Every year, many followers of the Banga-Stambali community gather to celebrate Saint Sidi Marzoug, a Black saint descended from slaves in Tunisia.
Annual celebration of Saint Sidi Marzoug by the Black communities of Tunisia in Nefta, in southern Tunisia. Every year, many followers of the Banga-Stambali community gather to celebrate Saint Sidi Marzoug, a Black saint descended from slaves in Tunisia.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323947.jpg
The annual celebration of Saint Sidi Marzoug by the Black communities of Tunisia takes place in Nefta, in southern Tunisia. Every year, many followers of the Banga-Stambali community gather to celebrate Saint Sidi Marzoug, a Black saint descended from slaves in Tunisia.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323946.jpg
Procession of Stambali and Banga troops for the celebration of Mawlid (the Prophet Muhammad's birthday). Medina of Tunis. Since 2017, Riadh has been trying to revive this sacred procession, which had disappeared. October 2021
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323945.jpg
Procession of stambali troupes and the southern Tunisian version of banga for the Mawlid celebration. Medina of Tunis, October 2021
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323944.jpg
Archival photographs of the Black Tunisian community and followers of Stambali at the Sidi Ali Lasmar shrine in Tunis. In the center, Hamadi Bideri, one of the last master musicians (called Yenna), passed away in 2016. Today, only a handful of Yenna remain in Tunisia.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323943.jpg
A private ceremony to invoke the spirit Nana Aïcha, a powerful child spirit of the Stambali cult. The Arifa (spiritual guide) stands beneath the altar, inhales incense, and enters a state of mediumistic trembling. She communicates with the consultant using sign language, either Arabic or African languages, depending on the spirit's origin, which the kajaka (spirit interpreter) then translates. Music and dance will subsequently reveal the spirit's identity.
Sidi Ali Lasmar Sanctuary, Tunis
Sidi Ali Lasmar Sanctuary, Tunis
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323942.jpg
Mohamed is the guardian of the Sidi Mahzoug shrine in southern Tunisia. This shrine is dedicated to the saint of the Black community of Tunisia.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323941.jpg
Next to the tomb of Sidi Ali Lasmar, Riadh receives followers of Stambali for private consultations in the room dedicated to the spirits. Numerous offerings to the spirits adorn the walls of the small room.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323940.jpg
Riadh is the guardian of the Sidi Ali Lasmar shrine, the last house in Tunis dedicated to the Stambali ritual, which is threatened with destruction. In the 1960s, former President Habib Bourguiba ceded numerous places of worship in Tunisia as part of his reformist policies. The shrine was sold to a private individual who now wishes to resell it. For the past two years, Riadh has been trying to alert the authorities to preserve this sacred site for the community, which plays an integral part in the spiritual life of the Tunis medina.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323939.jpg
The mausoleum of Sidi Ali Lasmar is the last of the houses where Stambali is still practiced. This figure is venerated by followers of Stambali. The shrine is the last of the four houses where the Black community of Tunis used to gather. "Lasmar," meaning "the Brown," implicitly "the Black man," was one of the slaves freed during the reign of Ahmed Bey in 1846. He became a holy man because of the many miracles he is said to have performed.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323938.jpg
In the shadow of a window, Riadh is organizing preparations for an annual ritual at a shrine in Ghar el Mellah. Every year, he comes to honor the Black deities and receive their blessings. Stambali is a Tunisian spiritual tradition celebrating the worship of spirits of African origin, brought by populations of sub-Saharan origin through the Arab slave trade. This practice blended with the veneration of saints in popular Islam to become a tradition in Tunisia.
TUNISIA-CULTURE/STAMBALI / The final dance of the Arifa. At the heart of the Stambali ritual in Tunisia
Augustin Le Gall / Le Pictorium
LePictorium_0323937.jpg
One of the musicians carries the gumbri, the instrument of the master musician, towards the mausoleum of the saint Sidi Al Mekki (Ghar El Melh).
