Ania Blazejewska | MassKara Festival

Photo © Ania Blazejewska-All Rights Reserved

I initially thought that this photograph was made during the Venice Carnival (which is scheduled to start on February 15 this year), but it wasn't. It was made during the MassKara festival by Ania Blazejewska.

Similar to religions which borrow rituals from each other, the MassKara festival is held each year in the town of Bacolod, Philippines, every third weekend of October. It appears that the festival was born out of a period of extreme crisis for the town. It began in 1980 after a precipitous drop of sugar, and the sinking of a vessel carrying many residents.

The word MassKara is a combination of the words mass (a multitude of people), and the Spanish word for face, "cara". The word maskara is also Filipino for "mask", and are influenced by native Filipino indigenous traditions mixed with the influences of the Carnival of Venice and Rio Carnival.

Ania Blazejewska is a freelance travel photographer based in Manila, the Philippines. Mainly interested in exploring cultural and social themes and loves telling stories about lives of ordinary people all over the world, her work was recognized in various Polish and international photo contests, and her freelance photos and articles were featured in a number of Polish-language travel portals. She has photographed in Cuba, India, Ladakh, Laos, Oman, Morocco, Srl Lanka and Nepal...to mention just a few.