On August 6th, 2011, a few months after the end of a violent post-electoral crisis, Abidjan’s new government demolished the Rue Princesse on the grounds that it had become unsanitary, crippled with prostitution, drug trafficking and incessant brawls around the maquis (open-air bars) and nightclubs. Yet, for twenty years, this huge festive artery in the Yopougon district had been considered a cultural showcase of Ivorian music and one of the most important nightlife spots in West Africa. Now in the midst of a renaissance, let’s take a…
