Kufi

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The late President Umaru Yar'Adua of Nigeria, a chieftain of the Fula emirate of Katsina, wearing a crown style kufi. Umaru Yar'Adua VOA.jpg
The late President Umaru Yar'Adua of Nigeria, a chieftain of the Fula emirate of Katsina, wearing a crown style kufi.

A kufi or kufi cap is a brimless, short, and rounded cap worn by men in many populations in North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. [1] It is also worn by men throughout the African diaspora. The cap has strong associations with many Islamic cultures and pan-African pride. [2] In the United States and the United Kingdom, it is also called a "taqiyah". [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

The kufi cap is not specific to any one country, although it has been perhaps most associated with Nigeria. [7] In Togo, the kufi is made from colourful fabrics, and are often worn during important events such as weddings, festivals, and other ceremonies. [8] In Mama Tchamba performances, the kufi is worn as an adornment during dances. [9] Within Islamic communities in West Africa the kufi is worn during prayer. [10]

Islamic, African and African American usage

The hat has strong associations with many Islamic cultures, as well as Pan-African pride. [11] In West Africa, a kufi cap is the traditional hat for men, and is part of the national costume of most of the countries in the region. It is worn by Muslims, and African Christians. Many grandfathers and other older men wear a kufi every day to symbolize their status as wise elders, religious people, or family patriarchs. [12]

Within the United States, it has become identified primarily with persons of West African heritage, who wear it to show pride in their culture, history, and religion (whether Christianity, Islam, or Traditional African religions). It is often made of kente cloth, mudcloth, or knitted or crocheted in a variety of yarns.[ citation needed ]

Crown style kufis are the traditional hat worn with formal West African attire. [13] A formal dashiki suit will always include a crown style kufi, while the knitted style is most appropriate for non-formal occasions. Other caps worn with the dashiki, Senegalese kaftan, and grand boubou, include:[ citation needed ]

However, the crown style kufi is most common.[ citation needed ]

In the United States today, many African-Americans wear the kufi during weddings, funerals, graduations and Kwanzaa celebrations. Furthermore, people of mainly West African heritage of all faiths wear the kufi, although it is associated more with members of the Islamic faith.[ citation needed ]

A West African king or tribal chief may have royal or noble arms embroidered on the kufi.[ citation needed ]

For members of the Christian faith, the kufi is unisex, and is also worn by women. Crochet and knitted styles are preferred by young girls and infants.[ citation needed ]

Traditionally, when worn by men, the kufi is a sign of peace, mourning, renewal or protection of the mind.[ citation needed ]

Etymology

In the Yoruba language, Ade means crown, and fila means cap. The city of Kufi is located in Yorubaland near Ibadan. Other West African names include fula, fila, and malo hat. [14] This cap is called a kofia in the Swahili language of East Africa [15] (see the kanzu article for further information). In the United States, the West African name, kufi, is most commonly used.[ citation needed ]

International use

Jazz fusion keyboardist Joe Zawinul performing on stage and wearing a kufi cap. Zawinul 2006 (Tom Beetz).jpg
Jazz fusion keyboardist Joe Zawinul performing on stage and wearing a kufi cap.

Jazz rock/jazz fusion Weather Report frontman and keyboardist Joe Zawinul wore kufi caps for a long time, both on stage with the band and outside of it, in his private/personal life. He is known for having changed various kufi models throughout the passing of time as well, as shown in the live performances of Weather Report from the 1970s and 1980s. Progressive rock Dutch legend Thijs van Leer also wore kufi caps during his early career with his band, Focus, in the 1970s. He can be seen wearing one in the music video for "House of the King" (also the theme song for the British TV show Saxondale ). In addition, Rush drummer Neil Peart took to wearing a kufi during performances after touring Cameroon by bicycle in 1988.[ citation needed ]

In the beginning of the 2018 American action film The Equalizer 2 , the character Robert McCall, played by Denzel Washington, is seen disguised as a Muslim and wearing a kufi. [16]

The caps were featured as dancers in the 2018 music video "All the Stars" by the artist Kendrick Lamar. [17] [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adornment</span> Accessory or ornament worn to enhance the beauty or status of the wearer

An adornment is generally an accessory or ornament worn to enhance the beauty or status of the wearer. They are often worn to embellish, enhance, or distinguish the wearer, and to define cultural, social, or religious status within a specific community. When worn to show economic status, the items are often either rare or prohibitively expensive to others. Adornments are usually colourful, and worn to attract attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toque</span> Type of hat with narrow or no brim

A toque is a type of hat with a narrow brim or no brim at all.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fez (hat)</span> Cylinder-shaped cap with a flat crown

The fez, also called tarboosh/tarboush, is a felt headdress in the shape of a short, cylindrical, truncated (peakless) hat, usually red, typically with a black tassel attached to the top. The name "fez" may refer to the Moroccan city of Fez, where the dye to color the hat was extracted from crimson berries. However, its origins are disputed.

A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head covering". Over time, the word has evolved and changed its meaning, but it still retains its association with headwear. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal settings, and are seen in sports and fashion. They are typically designed for warmth, and often incorporate a visor to block sunlight from the eyes. They come in many shapes, sizes, and are of different brands. Baseball caps are one of the most common types of cap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folk costume</span> Expression of identity through clothing, usually associated with a geographic area

A folk costume expresses a national identity through clothing or costume, which is usually associated with a specific region or period of time in history. It can also indicate social, marital, or religious status. If the costume is used to represent the culture or identity of a specific ethnic group, it is usually known as ethnic costume. Such costumes often come in two forms: one for everyday occasions, the other for traditional festivals and formal wear. The word "costume" in this context is sometimes considered pejorative due to the multiple senses of the word, and in such cases "clothing", "garments" or "regalia" can be substituted without offense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaftan</span> Traditional elongated cloak-like garment

A kaftan or caftan is a variant of the robe or tunic. Originating in Asia, it has been worn by a number of cultures around the world for thousands of years. In Russian usage, kaftan instead refers to a style of men's long suit with tight sleeves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clothing in Africa</span> Traditional clothing and fashion of Africa

African clothing is the traditional clothing worn by the people of Africa.

Skullcap or skull cap usually refers to various types of headgear. Specifically it may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dashiki</span> Colorful mens garment widely worn in West Africa that covers the top half of the body

The dashiki is a colorful garment that covers the top half of the body, worn mostly in West Africa. It has formal and informal versions and varies from simple draped clothing to fully tailored suits. A common form is a loose-fitting pullover garment, with an ornate V-shaped collar, and tailored and embroidered neck and sleeve lines. It is frequently worn with a brimless kufi cap and pants. It has been popularized and claimed by communities in the African diaspora, especially African Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrapper (clothing)</span> West African dress

The wrapper, lappa, or pagne is a colorful garment widely worn in West Africa by both men and women. It has formal and informal versions and varies from simple draped clothing to fully tailored ensembles. The formality of the wrapper depends on the fabric used to create or design it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karakul (hat)</span> Traditional sheep fur hat of Central and South Asia

A Karakul hat, sometimes spelled as Qaraqulhat, also known as an Astrakhan hat, Uzbek hat, and Jinnah Cap. It is a hat made from the fur of the Qaraqul breed of sheep. Karakul is directly translated as black fur in the Uzbek language and the hat originally comes from Bukhara. The fur from which it is made is referred to as Astrakhan, broadtail, qaraqulcha, or Persian lamb. The hat is peaked, and folds flat when taken off of the wearer's head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fila (hat)</span> Traditional Yoruba hat

Aso oke hat, known as fila in the Yoruba language, is a soft hat traditionally worn by the Yoruba people of Western Africa. It is made of hand-woven aso oke fabric, cotton, velvet, or damask. They are usually lined with cotton, but can be unlined if crafted to be worn for a single event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senegalese kaftan</span> Mens pullover robe worn in Senegal

A Senegalese kaftan is a pullover men's robe with long bell sleeves. In the Wolof language, this robe is called a mbubb or xaftaan and in French it is called a boubou. The Senegalese caftan is an ankle length garment. It is worn with matching drawstring pants called tubay in Wolof. Normally made of cotton brocade, lace, or synthetic fabrics, these robes are common throughout West Africa. A kaftan and matching pants is called a kaftan suit. The kaftan suit can be worn with a kufi cap. Senegalese kaftans are formal wear in all West African countries. In the United States, some merchants sell this robe as a Senegalese style dashiki pant set or a full length dashiki pant set. Men who are members of the Hausa tribe, wear these kaftans to formal events like naming ceremonies and weddings. In the United States, a kaftan is one of three formal suits, equivalent to the tuxedo, that African-American grooms select for their weddings. The other styles being the dashiki pant set, and the grand boubou, pronounced gran boo-boo. There are various other formal robes that are worn throughout West Africa, and with the exception of the Yoruba Gbarie robe, pronounced barry, most of these are a form of Islamic dress, see sartorial hijab. The kaftan is worn by Christians, African Jews, Muslims, and followers of African traditional religion. Furthermore, Senegalese kaftans are common among men of African descent in the African diaspora. The Senegalese kaftan is men's attire. In West Africa, and the United States, this robe is not worn by women. The women's robe is called a kaftan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kofia (hat)</span> Brimless cylindrical cap with a flat crown

The kofia is a brimless cylindrical cap with a flat crown, worn mainly by some men in East Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taqiyah (cap)</span> Short rounded skullcap worn by some Muslims

The Taqiyah, also known as tagiyah or araqchin, is a short, rounded skullcap worn by Muslim men. In the United States and the United Kingdom, it is also referred to as a "kufi", although the Kufi typically has more of an African connotation. Aside from being an adornment, the taqiyah has deeply ingrained significance in Islamic culture, reflecting the wearer's faith, devotion, and sometimes regional identity. While the taqiyah is deeply rooted in Muslim traditions, its use varies based on cultural context rather than strict religious guidelines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghanaian smock</span>

The Ghanaian Smock or Tani is a fabric worn by both women and men in Ghana. It is the most popular traditional attire in the country. The fabric is called Tani in Dagbani, while the male and female wear are respectively called Bin'gmaa and Bin'mangli. The smock is formally worn with a hat (zipligu)/ scarf (bobga), footwear (muɣri), and a trouser (kurugu).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanzu</span>

A kanzu is a white or cream coloured robe worn by men in the African Great Lakes region. It is referred to as a tunic in English, and as the Thawb in Arab countries. The kanzu is an ankle or floor length garment. It serves as the national costume of Tanzania as well as the Comoros, where it is called/pronounced 'Kandu' as well as thawb. The robe is also worn in some coastal Muslim regions of Tanzania and Kenya. The men of Uganda consider it their most important dress. Kanzu is a Ganda word of Swahili origin, which means "robe" or "tunic". In Tanzania, the term is used interchangeably with kaftan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Headgear</span> Any covering for the head; element of clothing which is worn on ones head

Headgear, headwear, or headdress is any element of clothing which is worn on one's head, including hats, helmets, turbans and many other types. Headgear is worn for many purposes, including protection against the elements, decoration, or for religious or cultural reasons, including social conventions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boubou (clothing)</span> Flowing wide-sleeved robe in Africa

The boubou or grand boubou is a flowing wide-sleeved robe worn across West Africa, and to a lesser extent in North Africa, related to the dashiki suit.

References

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  17. "How a 'Black Panther' Music Video Taps into an Old Trend". The Atlantic . March 2018.
  18. "Kendrick Lamar and SZA Serve Wakandan Royal Opulence in 'All the Stars' Video". 6 February 2018.

Further reading