Ivory Coast's Yamoussoukro: A slam poet's tour

Slam poet Aboulay Kwamé takes us on a tour of his hometown, Yamoussoukro, in Ivory Coast.

Transcript

00:00Hello, welcome to my home. I'm Abule Kwame, a slam poet known as Pagmanzrele.

00:06For those who don't understand Paule, that means the cobra.

00:10It spits words to beautify and also to destroy.

00:13So welcome to my city, Yamusukro.

00:16In 1983, Yamusukro, nicknamed Yakro, became Ivory Coast's new capital,

00:22a full circle moment for first president Felix Hufuet-Boigny.

00:26Back in 1950, he was the village chief here.

00:30Over his 33 years in power, he transformed his tiny hometown of less than a thousand people

00:36into a grand city complete with a sprawling complex, memorials and the world's largest church.

00:45There's stunning nature and wild greenery here in front of the president's house.

00:50Fascinating. And dominated by what? Crocodiles.

00:52They are magnificent aquatic animals that attract people from everywhere for a spectacle.

01:02The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is Yamusukro's main attraction.

01:07Construction began in 1985 and took only four years to complete.

01:12It is the world's largest church, followed by the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

01:17Pope John Paul II consecrated the structure in 1990,

01:23accepting it as Hufuet-Boigny's gift to the Catholic Church.

01:27Now it's time for lunch.

01:31Rabandrele brings us to have a local delicacy,

01:35futu, made from pounded cassava, plantains and salt.

01:39He orders it with gazelle meat in a spicy soup

01:42at one of his favorite places in the market.

01:48Coming to Yamusukro without trying bushmeat and futu,

01:52that's sacrilege.

01:56Next, we meet young baule weavers

01:59who are keeping up the tradition of ancestral textile craftsmanship.

02:03Here's a baule cloth, a cultural treasure and a symbol of our identity.

02:20We use it for weddings, baptisms, dowries, everything meaningful and grand.

02:28Now let's end the day with a traditional, refreshing local drink.

02:32This is palm wine, part of our identity

02:39and known to have therapeutic qualities.

02:42Very, very delicious.

02:48Yamusukro is a beautiful, rich city.

02:51Life here is low stress, almost like the countryside.

02:54You're welcome anytime.

02:56We'll be waiting.

02:57We'll be waiting.

02:57We'll be waiting for you.

02:57We'll be waiting.

02:59We'll be waiting.

03:02We'll be waiting.

03:03You