Photographer Anthony Pappone specializes in travel, portrait and photojournalism. Since a child he has had a fascination with history, far away places and tribes with ancient cultures. Over the years Pappone has documented ceremonies and festivals around the world with many recent journeys around the continent of Africa. On Flickr and Behance you will discover numerous albums documenting these amazing events.

A recent series on Behance entitled The Spirit of Masks, highlights FESTIMA (Festival International des Masques et des Arts de Dédougou), a festival of masks that takes place every other year in the city of Dédougou in Burkina Faso.

Taken at last year’s festival, Pappone explains that the masks originate from a number of West African countries in addition to Burkina Faso. Dances are performed day and night and it is said the person wearing the mask embodies the spirit of the mask they wear. Some represent animals while others are used to ask for rain. While the images below show the visual component, an equally important element is the music and rhythm throughout the event.

To see more from the series check out the rest of the images on Behance or browse through the 148-picture gallery on Flickr. For more wonderful travel photography by Pappone, check him out at the links below.