Pan-African musical festival, 2007
The Pan-African music festival, FESPAM, is a huge biennial music festival that takes place in Brazzaville. All the concerts are free, with many of Africa’s biggest artists having performed there at one time or other. The stadium is transformed, while the French Cultural Centre is also the other major part. The atmosphere was great, even if I got my phone stolen when going into the stadium. There was also an intellectual side-line with debates in the parliament building.
Chimpanzee reserve, 2007
Photos from a trip to a chimpanzee reserve just outside Pointe-Noire close to the Atlantic coast. Included here are photos of the late Gregoire, a local celebrity who had been rescued from Brazzaville zoo by helicopter during the civil war in the 1990s. He had been placed in the zoo in colonial times.
Deaf carpenters cooperative, Brazzaville
The first of several photo galleries I’ve produced in Africa was this one from a cooperative of deaf carpenters. They made some decent material, and a British friend of mine, Michael, had bought some furniture from them and helped them out with supplies. You can see the BBC photo gallery here (though the display style is not as pretty as modern BBC galleries). If you’re in Brazzaville, it’s close to the western exit of the city on the road that goes down to the bridge (but before WHO).
Brazzaville orphanage visit, 2007
A few photos from a toy distribution at one of the orphanages in Brazzaville. I forget the name of the quarter, but I think it was a western district.
Congo legislative elections 2007
The legislative elections in 2007 provided a bit of welcome attention on a quiet Sunday in June. The organisation was a shambles and few people were interested in voting, and those that wanted to often couldn’t. I don’t believe participation rates have ever been released.
Congo river trip, 2007
There isn’t a fantastic amount to do in Congo-Brazzaville, but you can make a short excursion outside the capital where there are a few river side options that are great for picnicking, swimming and camping. This particular spot was just a bit north of Brazzaville. There’s a nice bend in the river where you can be swept along by some gentle rapids and then get out downstream and walk back in no-time. I realise that if you’re not talking about the Serengeti or the jungle, it’s not always easy to know what African landscapes look like. Here there are rolling grass hills – largely without much sign of life – Congo has a very small population (4 million), concentrated in the two main cities, and yet the rest of the territory is vast.
USS Kauffmann visits Pointe-Noire, Congo, 2007
The visit of the USS Kauffmann to Congo’s main port, Pointe-Noire, on the Atlantic ocean made for an interesting ride out to sea and visit.
