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As an immigrant myself, when I write or edit or publish stories outside of my own experience, I've always tried to get the details right...
I remember when I lived in Slough first, watching a cop programme on T.V. An Irish family (a Dad and his two sons) were brough in for questioning. I immediately noticed that all three had different regional accents, so I assumed they would be discovered as not a family at all. In fact I waited all programme for this to be revealed and it wasn't. They were of course revealed to be low level criminals (I can't think of a single instance in the late 1980s/early 90s when and Irish character was anything else. In fact they didn't even get to be clever or sophisticated criminals – those roles were reserved for slick Englishmen like XXXXX) I remember this feeling - when the innacurate detail broke the spell and xxxxx and it informs my wanting to get these details right myself. Kente cloth is the iconic African fabric. More than just a cloth, it is an iconic visual representation of the history, philosophy, ethics, oral literature, religious belief, social values, and political thought of West Africa. Kente is exported as one of the key symbols of African heritage and pride in African ancestry throughout the diaspora. In spite of the proliferation of both the hand-woven and machine-printed kente, the design is still regarded as a symbol of social prestige, nobility, and cultural sophistication.
So it would have been nice to reference Lulu's African heritage by having her wear clothing made from Kente or perhaps some household items BUT when I wrote the first Lulu story, my imagined origins for ehr family were in Tanzania - so instead we have used the wonderful Kanga as an inspiration. Kanga is a rectangular shaped, 100% cotton, printed cloth common all along the coast of East Africa, especially Tanzania and Kenya. It is distinctive in having patterns of contrasting scale - one in the centre and one around the edges that includes a Swahili proverb. Kanga is usually bought in a pair (2 pieces joined together) and need to be cut and sewn along the raw edge to separate them before being worn. Kanga is extremely popular in East Africa and is worn daily by millions of women. Kangas are very popular gifts especially for birthdays and weddings. If you are a guest at somebody’s house then they may present you with your own kanga, which is a sign of friendship. They say that every woman should own a thousand kangas! History Kangas have existed in East Africa since the mid 19th century. In the 1870s Muslim Women in Zanzibar and Mombasa, Kenya, bought printed bandanas, imported by Portuguese traders. They sewed 6 of these colourful bandanas together to make a unique piece of cloth. Traders along the Swahili coast quickly reacted to this emerging trend and arranged for designs to be hand-stamped, using carved wooden blocks, onto a single piece of locally woven cloth instead of lots of smaller squares sewn together. The cloth is thought to be named after the Swahili word for the spotted black and white guinea fowl. This is due to the fact that the first printed cloths used a similar print to that found on the guinea fowl, which was very popular at the time. Modern Kanga ProductionToday, there are a large number of different Kanga designs available to purchase in the markets of East Africa. Kangas were commonly produced in India, China, Europe (UK) and Japan until the 1960s when factories were set-up in Kenya and Tanzania. They now use large, industrial rotary screen-printing machines and can produce large quantities in bulk. Kanga Uses Kangas are incredibly versatile and are often worn as traditional African clothing but also to sleep in, wear around the house when cooking and cleaning and for carrying babies in. They can also be used as curtains, mops, towels, aprons, tablecloths and are really handy to take to the beach. The cloth is also worn by guests, or the bride, at Swahili weddings (people from the coast). The traditional ‘wedding’ kanga (called ‘kisutu’ in Swahili) is white, black and red in colour. Kanga Sayings Swahili proverbs were added to kanga designs at the beginning of this century. Some examples include:
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What does 'Kanga' mean?
The name is said to have originated from the Swahili word for the guinea fowl, which is black with white spots. Kanga za Mera followed soon after that and included block printing of more intricate designs in red and black on Merikani fabric. There are various theories surrounding the origin of the Kanga cloth.
Origin and history
In the 19th century, in East Africa, certain varieties of cloth were popular. Among them was a cheap, white, unbleached cotton fabric imported from the United States called Merikani, which was worn by women. The other was Kaniki, a name given to cotton cloth from India. The colorful material was quite popular around the middle of the 1800s and, as demand grew, local merchants began to dye Merikani cloth a deep blue or black. The earliest designs were block printed and had repeating black and white spotted motifs, which inspired the name Kanga.
Production and distribution
From the early days, Kangas were largely produced in Europe and India. Throughout the 20th century, British, American, Dutch, and Japanese imported cloth continued to dominate the market. But, in the 1970s, textile mills were set up in Kenya and, in 1985, Tanzania became one of the largest producers of the Kanga. Today, Kangas are produced in Kenya, Tanzania, Oman, India and Pakistan. China has recently become the largest producer.
The Kanga is today highly fashionable and can be purchased in many markets in Africa, as well as large cities and small villages in Europe and Asia, and in the US. It has retained its ability to survive and is now being printed on cloth other than cotton because of the high prices of cotton in Africa. The most sought after Kangas remain the traditional soft cotton cloths in varieties of colors, patterns and styles.
The name is said to have originated from the Swahili word for the guinea fowl, which is black with white spots. Kanga za Mera followed soon after that and included block printing of more intricate designs in red and black on Merikani fabric. There are various theories surrounding the origin of the Kanga cloth.
Origin and history
In the 19th century, in East Africa, certain varieties of cloth were popular. Among them was a cheap, white, unbleached cotton fabric imported from the United States called Merikani, which was worn by women. The other was Kaniki, a name given to cotton cloth from India. The colorful material was quite popular around the middle of the 1800s and, as demand grew, local merchants began to dye Merikani cloth a deep blue or black. The earliest designs were block printed and had repeating black and white spotted motifs, which inspired the name Kanga.
Production and distribution
From the early days, Kangas were largely produced in Europe and India. Throughout the 20th century, British, American, Dutch, and Japanese imported cloth continued to dominate the market. But, in the 1970s, textile mills were set up in Kenya and, in 1985, Tanzania became one of the largest producers of the Kanga. Today, Kangas are produced in Kenya, Tanzania, Oman, India and Pakistan. China has recently become the largest producer.
The Kanga is today highly fashionable and can be purchased in many markets in Africa, as well as large cities and small villages in Europe and Asia, and in the US. It has retained its ability to survive and is now being printed on cloth other than cotton because of the high prices of cotton in Africa. The most sought after Kangas remain the traditional soft cotton cloths in varieties of colors, patterns and styles.
For me the most fascinating thing about the kangas is that each one bears a message; sometimes a Swahili proverb, sometimes a political slogan, sometimes a very personal message from the giver to the receiver. These messages are known as Jina and they are many and varied. Short and to the point, they carry a whole lot of meaning. They are given by mothers to daughters, friends to one another, children to mothers, husbands to wives etc. And the meaning matters. For me it is such a wonderful tradition, a beautiful gift with a message on it that you have to puzzle out.
If you want to read more, this site has a very good list of just a few of the jina found on kangas.
While I was reading up about them I came across an interesting tale (recounted by Wener Graebner) which demonstrates so clearly how these jina can be used. A young Tanzanian girl recounted how she became engaged to a German man and that in her area this caused much talk. She bought herself two kangas: on the one was the message – Wasemao na waseme – Let them talk who want to talk; on the other was written, Moyo ndiye muamuzi – Only the heart decides. She reported that the talk soon stopped once she appeared wearing these.
Paula Leyden LINK
If you want to read more, this site has a very good list of just a few of the jina found on kangas.
While I was reading up about them I came across an interesting tale (recounted by Wener Graebner) which demonstrates so clearly how these jina can be used. A young Tanzanian girl recounted how she became engaged to a German man and that in her area this caused much talk. She bought herself two kangas: on the one was the message – Wasemao na waseme – Let them talk who want to talk; on the other was written, Moyo ndiye muamuzi – Only the heart decides. She reported that the talk soon stopped once she appeared wearing these.
Paula Leyden LINK
My favorites:
Kuelekeza si kufuma
To aim is not to hit
Good intentions alone serve nothing if not followed by tangible results.
Usisafirie nyota ya mwenzio
Don't set sail using someone else's star
Everyone has his or her own destiny. If someone has become successful by doing something, it is not necessarily right to assume that you will also be successful by doing the same thing.
36. "Furaha yako ni furaha yangu."
"Your joy is my joy."
50. "Heri ya Krismas na Mwaka Mpya."
"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year."
96. "Mama ni malkia; thamani yake haina kifani."
"The mother is a queen; her value is inestimable."
97. "Mama ni nambari wani; hana mpinzani."
"Mother is number one; she has no one against her."
Kuelekeza si kufuma
To aim is not to hit
Good intentions alone serve nothing if not followed by tangible results.
Usisafirie nyota ya mwenzio
Don't set sail using someone else's star
Everyone has his or her own destiny. If someone has become successful by doing something, it is not necessarily right to assume that you will also be successful by doing the same thing.
36. "Furaha yako ni furaha yangu."
"Your joy is my joy."
50. "Heri ya Krismas na Mwaka Mpya."
"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year."
96. "Mama ni malkia; thamani yake haina kifani."
"The mother is a queen; her value is inestimable."
97. "Mama ni nambari wani; hana mpinzani."
"Mother is number one; she has no one against her."
Link to list of proverbs: http://www.glcom.com/hassan/kanga.html
Another link: https://www.utamaduni.dk/fakta/khangasaying.htm
Another link: https://www.utamaduni.dk/fakta/khangasaying.htm