Kanga the mostly used clothing in Tanzania

commonly used kanga wrap at home

Attending Occasions

Attending Occasions

As a headscarf

Tanzanian women love Kangas and one woman can have several pairs. And for those who are kanga enthusiast they make a new purchase every week. Kanga is used by our women tied on the waist on top of a dress as an apron of its kind whilst attending her daily duties in her home. It is also used to hold and cover a new born baby. And when the baby has grown, they use kanga as a baby carrier on her back. Also men wear their wive kanga whilst at home. At funeral occasions almost all women their wear kangas around them. At send off parties the husband to be is put to test. He has to pin point her wife to be amongst several women completely covered by kangas. A kanga can also be used as a headscarf.Apart from the uses mention a kanga has several other uses such as decorative material on send off or wedding occasions...etc. And some of our ladies carry a kanga in their handbags for use in emergency situation.

 So you can imagine the total number of kangas in our homesteads. Kanga is sold as a pair called "Doti".

Guinea fowl (Kanga)

Guinea fowl feather

So let us look at what makes the kanga to be a so special clothing to our women folks.
Kanga is the Swahili name of bird called Guinea fowl. And that is where the clothing got its name.
Designers were inspired by the dotted patten on the Guinea fowl s feathers.
A kanga is rectangular in shape and measures 110cm by 150cm. It has brilliant print and a swahili saying on it, which is enclosed with a border all around it.
Kanga  production started in early 1950 s in India and China and brought to East African coast by trade merchants.So you see it was initially worn by coastal people and Zanzibar Island. And then spread inwards into the mainland as it grew in popularity. In the mid of 1960 s kanga production started in Tanzania.
When you are talking of its quality, it varies from country to country. As for Tanzanian Kangas is made from 100% of pure cotton cloth.

relax my heart don t quarrel with a poker of other people business                   

work hard in fabricating a gossip it does not bother me

I know you  have slipped and that is why i have not asked

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You are most welcome to visit our shop Sanaa Zetu, for  your Kanga and other needs. customer satisfaction is our motto.

The Maasai Blanket ''LUBEGA"

The Maasai  are amongst the few tribes in Tanzania who are still adhering to their culture. And their famous for that. This people are herders of cattle (nomads),  so they  move from one place to another in search of good pasture and water for their cattle. It is a tradition of Maasai men  to wear colourful outfit  known as "lubega" in Kiswahili or popularly known as Maasai blanket. This piece of cloth they just simply fling it around their bodies. And to hold it in place they use to tie it into a knot near the shoulder area, with belt  support  around their waist. The belt also carries the "sime" (Maasai sword) and a club. The Maasai warrior plait their hair in a very unique style of their own, also put on "lukaria",a special red soil all over their bodies. For a complete attire dress up they elongate the lobes of their ears by making big holes on them, carry a shield, a spear and put on sandals made from old used car tyres. When fully dressed up they attract a lot of attention to passer by. Tourist love to take a photograph with them. Now a days we see man from other tribes also flinging the Maasai blanket around their bodies to keep them warm during cold season.
The Maasai cuture is very rich, to write about it, you are talking of writting a book of many pages.

Maasai wariors getting organised just before perfoming their traditional
Maasai dance

People from other tribes wearing Maasai attire

The Maasai blanket is available in a wide variety of colour mix. Below  you can see some of the varieties. The blanket can also be used as a table cloth, curtain,  car cushions, sofa upholstery etc.

 At  our Shop Sanaa Zetu we have a wide variety of Maasai blankets.You are most welcome. We are based in Moshi Municipality, Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania. Customer satisfaction is our motto.

                                                             KARIBU SANA

Batik Art Paintings

Mother and child
Batik card

Abstract

Maasai Women

The Traditional Dancers

Fetching water

Batik Art Paintings this comprises of painting simple sketches on fabric material, using light dyes and gradually progress to darker dyes. After each application of dye, molten wax is used as the media of separating the colours. sometimes the molten wax applied, is purposely cracked in an artistic way so as to create as certain pattern  on application of dye of the following stage of  the painting.  On completion of the painting, Molten wax is removed physically using both hands in a rhythm way, like someone washing a piece of cloth. Finally the remains of wax, is removed by applying hot iron  on the painting which has been enclosed between newspaper bottom and above it. The realised painting quality, will depend  highly on the quality of material used and the ability of the artist.
In Kilimanjaro region we have several Chagga batik artist. Kerita and Sam Kashinde are amongst the prominent ones. They also conduct batik art classes for beginners.
You are most welcome to Sanaa Zetu for your batik art paintings.Customer satisfaction is our motto.

Maasai Couple
Fine Batik

  

The market
Abstract Batik