On Friday the students learned all about the Zanzibar kanga culture.

This lesson was taught by Mr. Farid who is an expert of culture and one of the most famous Zanzibari historians. He explained that the people started to wear kanga’s in colonial times, when people were using it as respectful dresses. Kanga’s were made for men and women but now a days it is mostly seen as a women’s dress.

In early times, it was known as sheet, later on the name changed to kisua but now the famous piece of cloth is only known as a kanga, which means the name of and animal which has a sharp voice (which is why a kanga is very ‘talkative’). The first kanga was printed in England (Manchester), after which production moved to India.

Thanks for another good extra class, Farid!