a Voodoo Priestess in the coastal city of Ouidah. “The Europeans tried to erase it. But voodoo is inside us. They couldn’t kill it. In Benin today there are Catholics who are Christian by day ...

In the voodoo heartland of Ouidah, the sound of drums fills the air, while men and women dressed mainly in white take turns to dance around a bowl of millet, a freshly slaughtered chicken and alcohol.

It was a symbol of the city's history and culture. Kptenon, a tourist guide in Ouidah, also a centre of voodoo practice, said residents cannot believe it's gone, some even hinting something is amiss.