Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 The beginning of January, the city of Ouida hosts yearly Vodun festivities.
00:06 This year, the exclusive rituals and dances performed on sacred grounds will be open to the public.
00:13 Dignitaries and followers return to their roots by showcasing Vodun as more than just a religion,
00:26 but also a culture and visual art form.
00:30 We want to contribute to the development of the world and for Africa to reclaim its rightful place.
00:38 It's great for me to discover things that are part of my identity, my culture.
00:45 I have lost a lot of time. Sometimes it feels like we are searching for things that we already have within us.
00:51 Through this new concept, called Vodun Days, the festival opens up to exhibit more than Vodun culture.
00:58 For several days, many forms of Afro-culture are represented in Ouida's city center
01:05 and the historic door of no return, with the aim of boosting tourism.
01:10 We do not have large quantities of oil or gold, but we're smart.
01:19 We're lucky to have this intangible wealth, which is our Vodun tradition.
01:23 Today, what we are trying to do is restore its prestige.
01:26 Famous international artists such as Yemi Elade, Tabu Kombo and Kofi Elomide
01:37 have been brought in to perform in front of 35,000 attendees,
01:43 among them a significant number of Afro-descendant tourists.
01:48 I'm surprised by how big it is this year. Yesterday, there was a concert and there was no space left at all in Ouida.
01:55 Benin can be proud and I hope it continues to grow.
01:57 While opening up to the world, Benin strives to maintain its uniqueness and the spirituality
02:05 at the heart of Vodun Days. The grand traditional ceremony
02:10 showcases the diversity of Vodun deities and their interconnections.
02:16 [BLANK_AUDIO]