Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Eromo Egbejule in Abidjan

Young Francophone Africans pack out poetry slams as region’s woes pile up

Otemptic has her eyes closed as she speaks into a microphone
Otemptic, a poet and DJ, performs at a slam festival in Abidjan in October. Photograph: Goethe Institut

Clutching a microphone in one hand and pointing at the audience with the other, the Burkinabé poet and DJ Otemptic reeled about jihadism and women’s resilience in a patriarchal society to an audience of about 200 people at a slam at a venue in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

“I would like to talk to you about my pain … terrorists of all colours,” recited Otemptic, who was accompanied on the stage by a guitarist, keyboardist and drummer. “Authors of barbarism, those who stop the development of my proud homeland.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.