{"id":4959,"date":"2022-09-05T05:59:28","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T05:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africablooming.com\/?p=4959"},"modified":"2022-09-05T06:02:21","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T06:02:21","slug":"best-wishes-from-lome-la-belle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africablooming.com\/en\/best-wishes-from-lome-la-belle\/","title":{"rendered":"Best wishes from Lom\u00e9 La Belle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Coconut trees, fruit stands and bags of gari parade before my eyes. The wind whips my face. The Salsa is playing from the car radio. Earlier this year I rediscovered Lom\u00e9 La Belle and a bit of Togo. Car, motorcycle cab, dugout and walking; dear family, old friends and new encounters. Here are some places not to be missed if you visit Lom\u00e9! <\/p>\n\n

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The market<\/h3>\n\n
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To understand an African city, there is nothing like a trip to the market! \nAt a time when the neighboring country is thinking of destroying the largest market in Africa, I hurriedly went to wander among the stalls of a thousand colors and scents, guided by my wise aunts. \nA short stop at the Lom\u00e9 Cathedral, a classic must-see of a visit, then I get lost among the spices, dried fish, flours, wax and other loincloths, chargers, buckets, shoes,… We haggle, we compare, we give up, we buy, we get angry, we laugh, we complain about the cost of living, we find compromises. \nTomorrow I’ll go to another corner, to see the ‘venues de France’ and go visit the Malians, they sell good radios and my auntie needs a new one!<\/p>\n\n

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Asrafobawu, a brand ‘made in Togo’ that celebrates African know-how<\/h3>\n\n
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A few days late, I miss the man known as Elom 20ce<\/a>, prolific Togolese artist. Music, documentaries, fashion, the projects follow one another and are intertwined for the pan-African rapper.<\/p>\n\n

Unfortunately, he was abroad while I was in Lom\u00e9. Thanks to his recommendations, I had the pleasure of discovering his brand Asrafobawu in different stores in Lom\u00e9.<\/p>\n

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Elom 20ce, creator of the Togolese brand Asrafobawu<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n

A tribute to the know-how of the country and the continent, shirts, dresses, boubous and hooded jackets embrace contemporary fashion while celebrating tradition and originality. KENT\u00c9, BOGOLAN, TYE&DYE, INDIGO, PATCHWORK, EMBROIDERIES… all these textiles are brought up to date and the choice is difficult as the models and colors are all beautiful. <\/p>\n\n

All these treasures are ours’ as Elom 20ce says, and as a guardian of traditions he knows how to value them: exploring materials, knowing the history of techniques, keeping them alive, working with craftsmen and thus encouraging the made in Togo, this is one of the many exciting missions of Elom 20ce, a precious knowledge broker! <\/p>\n

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The Kpomega are the guardians of the sanctuary in some traditional cults in southern Togo. Dressed here by Asrafobawu for the video Egungun<\/a> by Elom 20ce<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n
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Discover the complete Lonlon catalog, including all Asafrobawu collections here<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n

Asrafobawu clothes can be found at Ikonik Glam<\/em> and at Tcha Tcha<\/em> cafe in Lome.<\/p>\n\n

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The Palace of Lom\u00e9, art and culture center and green lung of the city<\/h3>\n\n
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Taking advantage of the morning breeze, I get up and walk through the streets of Ny\u00e9konakpo\u00e9 and Kodjoviakop\u00e9 down to the sea. There, in front of the beach, the Palais de Lom\u00e9<\/a> imposes itself to me. Majestic, imperious, draped in white, surrounded by its abundant park. \nSince 2019, this vestige of Togo’s colonial and political history has recovered its beauty to welcome art and culture and open its doors to the general public. \nA magnificent park extends over several hectares. The diversity of the vegetation, the wind blowing in the palm trees, the chirping of the numerous birds greet me. The hundred-year-old trees, like old folks, look at me as I walk by. The pools at the entrance soothe me. \nI approach and admire the carefully renovated building, especially its woodwork. Then, intimidated, I climb the stairs, excited to discover the exhibitions presented by this new institution.<\/p>\n\n

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I continue the tour and discover 10 contemporary artists from Lom\u00e9 thanks to an untitled exhibition that combines a wide range of mediums: painting, collages, sculptures, drawings… Finally, upstairs, a journey through time awaits me with the exhibition Lom\u00e9, portraits of a city<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n