▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁he ▁attended ▁the ▁World ▁Assembly ▁of ▁Youth ▁in ▁Dak ar , ▁Sen eg al , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Cong ol ese ▁deleg ation . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁Bol amba ▁under to ok ▁a ▁cultural ▁mission ▁to ▁Sen eg al ▁under ▁the ▁spons or ship ▁of ▁the ▁Alliance ▁Fran çaise . ▁While ▁there ▁he ▁met ▁Lé on ▁Dam as , ▁a ▁French ▁poet ▁whose ▁poetry ▁volume , ▁P ig ments , ▁he ▁held ▁in ▁high ▁regard . ▁Two ▁years ▁later ▁Bol amba ▁published ▁another ▁poetry ▁collection , ▁Es an zo : ▁Ch ants ▁pour ▁mon ▁pays ▁( Es an zo : ▁Songs ▁for ▁my ▁Country ). ▁Pref ac ed ▁by ▁Lé op old ▁S éd ar ▁S eng hor , ▁it ▁art ic ulated ▁Bol amba ' s ▁identity ▁as ▁both ▁Mongo ▁and ▁Cong ol ese . ▁Though ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁po ems ▁were ▁written ▁in ▁French , ▁some ▁were ▁set ▁adjacent ▁to ▁Mongo ▁transl ations . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁mot ifs ▁were ▁inspired ▁by ▁tropical ▁imag ery . ▁He ▁attended ▁the ▁Congress ▁of ▁Black ▁Writ ers ▁and ▁Art ists ▁in ▁Paris ▁from ▁ 1 9 ▁until ▁ 2 2 ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁La ▁Vo ix ▁du ▁Cong ol ais ▁ceased ▁publication ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁and ▁he ▁ended ▁his ▁work ▁as ▁an ▁editor . ▁Following ▁Cong ol ese ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁his ▁imag ery ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁inten se ▁and