Goli is a sacred dance originating with the Wan, which the Baoulés adopted in 1900. 

The mask is the central element of this dance, with its antelope horns, crocodile face and red discs symbolizing the sun. 

Once highly sacred and reserved for special ceremonies, the Goli is now a tourist attraction in the Lake District.

The origin of the Goli mask 

According to legend, a WAN hunter was following his traps in the forest as usual when he suddenly heard singing. He walked along following the sound of the singing to find out where it was coming from, and came across a dance performed by genies.

He decided to stop and observe and memorize the details of this very special dance.

Once back in the village, he wasted no time in recounting his adventure to the locals.

During the night that followed, the genie appeared again and reminded him what he had to do to retrieve the masks from the forest and perpetuate the dance in the village. There are 7 masks.

This is how the Goli was born.

Sequence of the Goli dance

The dance is announced by a horn blown by a chosen person who will communicate with the mask. 

The other members of the orchestra accompany him/her with large calabashes called "Toha".

The lyrics of the songs accompanying the orchestra are in ethnic Wan.

The masks come out in pairs:

First come the small, round-faced "Kplé Kplé" male masks, followed by the Goli Gloin.

Finally, to complete the picture, female masks with men's heads and braided hairstyles, the Kpan, appeared. 

Today, Goli is part of Côte d'Ivoire's cultural heritage and continues to be danced in almost every village in the Gbéké region. 

Would you like to discover this traditional dance? 

Book your tour with Yafohi Travel here 

Or contact us here for a tailor-made tour