Weaving Ties: The Journey of Kanga from Fabric to Bond

Kangas are made from cotton and is locally produced in Tanzania and Kenya. Anywhere you go in Tanzania you will find these colorful garments for sale. Tailors throughout the country design and create fashionable clothing and accessories from the kangas and slowly this trend is moving to other continents like Europe where designers use African fabrics in traditional European clothing.

The reason they called it “kanga” was probably because the first patterns resembled the plumage of the guinea fowl. Today the designs have evolved a lot and the choice is endless. It is a piece of printed cotton fabric, about 1.5 m by 1 m, often with a border along all four sides (called pindo in Swahili), and a central part (mji) which differs in design from the borders. They are sold in pairs, which can then be cut and hemmed to be used as a set.

Modern designs also have a proverb or riddle written on them which is called “jina” and it basically just means “name”. It is this name by which each particular khanga design is recognised, making it easier to purchase at the shops. These sayings can range from messages of love, prosperity and religion to just random things.

Read Also: Kente Cloth Weaving in Ghana, West Africa

On the eastern coast of Africa, the kanga is a culturally significant gift that is frequently given for special events. In Tanzania, they are also given to grieving families as part of a collection (or michango); in which many community members contribute a little amount of money to help the family cope with their loss.

From the kanga design, there is Kishutu and Kikoy, which are customarily worn by men. As part of the bride’s dowry, or as an offering from healers to ward off demons, the Kishutu design is one of the earliest known patterns.

In the early 1900s, proverbs, sayings, aphorisms and slogans were added to kangas. A trader in Mombasa, Kaderdina Hajee Essak, also known as “Abdulla”, began to distinguish his kangas with the mark “K.H.E. – Mali ya Abdulla“, to which he often added a proverb in Swahili. Initially they were printed in Arabic script, and later in Roman letters. Towards the eastern part of the region, phrases in Kiswahili are traditional, while in central areas phrases in both Kiswahili and Lingala are popular.