I was in DC for the inauguration, yet for me the signature scene of the day was the Haitian-American band Djarara Lòt Bò Dlo (buy the CD, highly recommended!) playing in front of the Washington Monument. The festiveness of the 13-person band, and the simplicity of the instruments individually but their complexity in concert, to me, combined with their message (Haiti: first black nation. Barack Obama: first black U.S. president), captured the joy of the day more than any crowd scene that I took.
Additional photos of Djarara Lòt Bò Dlo
Other photos that captured the spirit of the day
People wanted their kids to see the event (in this case, listening to the inaugural address)
Everyone was taking self-photos (and yet I somehow didn’t get a good photo of any of this…alas)
Yes, there were crowds
And self-promotion (both by for-profits and non-profits)
But in the end it was a day for the country
