A tchiloli performance is a big event that can last for many hours and draws large crowds. The performers wear extraordinary costumes - long robes, tricorn hats, face paint and masks - mixing styles that arrived from many different cultures over the centuries. No two costumes are identical, and making them is a skilled craft passed down through families.
The story at the heart of tchiloli comes from an old European tale, but on São Tomé it has been completely transformed and made the island's own. Local musicians play as the performers act and dance. The music, the movement and the storytelling all happen together at the same time, making tchiloli something between a play, a parade and a festival.
Tchiloli is performed on special occasions and feast days, often in an open square or on a patch of flat ground with people watching from all sides. Children love the spectacular costumes and the energy of the performance - it is one of those events that children remember for the rest of their lives.
UNESCO has recognised tchiloli as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage - meaning it is a tradition so valuable and unique that the whole world has a shared interest in keeping it alive. On São Tomé, groups of performers train for months to prepare for important performances.