Congo

Brazzaville does not shout its presence. It hums—sometimes in a deep, rhythmic bassline drifting from a street corner, sometimes in the rustle of bright fabrics unfurled in a market stall. Set on the north bank of the Congo River, the capital of the Republic of Congo is often bypassed for larger or more internationally recognized destinations, yet it remains one of Central Africa’s richest cultural centers. The city’s energy radiates from its neighborhoods. In Marché de Poto-Poto, Brazzaville’s sprawling open-air market, a tide of color and motion surges through narrow aisles. Vendors call to passersby over pyramids of cassava, baskets of mangoes, and bolts of wax-printed cloth in electric patterns....