Photos of Benin's traditional mask festival as ancient customs come alive

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Photos of Benin's traditional mask festival as ancient customs come alive

2025-08-04 11:40 Last Updated At：11:51

PORTO NOVO, Benin (AP) — A traditional mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin, showcases the country’s unique face masks and full-body costumes, that are tied to ancient customs and traditions.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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Zangbeto, a Voodoo guardian also known as "guardians of the night," performs during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume performs during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dress in costumes dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes attend the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Onlookers film on mobile phones as people dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume performs during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Zangbeto, a Voodoo guardian also known as "guardians of the night," performs during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume performs during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dress in costumes dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes attend the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Onlookers film on mobile phones as people dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume performs during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Zangbeto, a Voodoo guardian also known as "guardians of the night," performs during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume performs during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dress in costumes dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes attend the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

More Images

Zangbeto, a Voodoo guardian also known as "guardians of the night," performs during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume performs during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dress in costumes dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes attend the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Onlookers film on mobile phones as people dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume performs during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Zangbeto, a Voodoo guardian also known as "guardians of the night," performs during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume performs during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dress in costumes dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes attend the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Onlookers film on mobile phones as people dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume performs during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin , Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Zangbeto, a Voodoo guardian also known as "guardians of the night," performs during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dressed in costumes dance during a mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume performs during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dress in costumes dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes attend the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

People dress in costumes and dance during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A man dressed in a costume dances during the mask festival in Porto Novo, Benin , Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

As Additive-Free Spirits Surge, Rum Becomes the Next Category Under the Microscope

KOHALA, Hawai‘i--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

Kuleana Rum Works, the Hawai‘i-based distillery known for its additive-free, award-winning rums, today announced the release of “An Open Letter on Additive-Free Rum,” written by Founder & CEO Steve Jefferson, addressing why rum is now facing the same scrutiny and market shift that reshaped tequila a decade ago.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107792953/en/

Consumers across spirits are demanding more honesty about how products are made. Additive-free labeling has already transformed tequila and is reshaping whiskey and RTDs. Drinkers now expect producers to protect natural flavor instead of masking it, and bartenders increasingly use transparency as a measure of quality. The letter positions rum as the next category entering this accountability cycle, as more consumers begin to question undisclosed sweeteners, flavorings and added color.

Tequila provides the clearest precedent. Producers who embraced additive-free methods helped premiumize the category, while brands relying on undisclosed additives now face growing skepticism. According to the letter, rum is approaching the same turning point. Jefferson explains that Kuleana Rum Works was founded on additive-free principles: growing heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane), fermenting and distilling fresh juice at lower proof to preserve natural character, adding nothing after distillation and holding all blending partners to the same standards. Every rum — whether distilled in Hawai‘i or sourced — is verified additive-free through independent lab testing and supplier documentation.

“Consumer expectations are changing fast across spirits,” said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. “People want honesty in what they drink, and they’re rewarding producers who protect natural flavor rather than covering it up. Additive-free isn’t a trend — it’s becoming the standard, and rum is now facing that shift head-on.”

Additional detail in the letter underscores how production choices such as fresh juice fermentation, low-proof distillation and a strict no-additives policy create transparency and flavor integrity that align with what the market is valuing.

About Kuleana Rum Works

Founded on the island of Hawai‘i in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums — led by its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole® — from fresh kō (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Now available in 17 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship. Visit kuleanarum.com to learn more.