Kufi

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Umaru Yar'Adua, President of Nigeria, wearing a crown style kufi.

A kufi or kufi cap is a brimless, short, rounded cap. By custom it is most often worn by African people and/or the African diaspora.

[edit] African and African-American Usage

A group of drummers in Accra, Ghana, wearing dashiki shirts and knitted kufi caps

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 Christians, Muslims, African Jews, and followers of African traditional religion. Many grandfathers and other older men wear a kufi everyday to symbolize their status as wise elders, religious people, or family patriarchs. ^[1]

Within the United States, it has become identified with persons of African descent, who wear it to show pride in their culture, history, and religion. Often made of kente cloth, mudcloth, or knitted in a variety of yarns, kufis became popular fashion items throughout hip hop culture during the late-1980s/early-1990s.

Crown style kufis are the traditional hat worn with formal African attire, see Dashiki. ^[2] 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:

• The Aso Oke hat, from Nigeria
• The Jinnah cap, an artificial fur Karakul hat, from South Asia
• The Peci, which is also called a songkok, rampuri cap, or African fez cap, from Indonesia
• The Fez, a wool cap with a stem from, North Africa, also called a tarboush
• The Abeti-aja, a triangular Yoruba hat, whose name means, like the ears of a dog, from Nigeria

However, the crown style kufi is most common.

In the United States, many African-Americans wear the kufi during weddings; funerals; graduations; and Kwanzaa celebrations. Furthermore, people of African descent of all faiths wear the kufi, including Christians; African Jews; Black Hebrew Israelites; Muslims; Buddhists; and Vodun practitioners. The red Turkish cap or Juju cap is worn by a priest or priestess in some vodoun and African traditional religion cults.

An African king or tribal chief may have royal or noble arms embroidered on the kufi, see Heraldry in Sub-Saharan Africa.

[edit] Etymology

The cap worn with a dashiki is named for the city of Kufi, Nigeria, pronounced coo-FEE. In the Yoruba language, kufi 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. ^[3] This cap is called a kofia in the Swahili language of East Africa ^[4], see the kanzu article for further information. In the United States, the West African name, kufi, is most commonly used.

[edit] Popular culture

In popular culture, the kufi was featured in the movies Training Day and Rent. Oscar winner, Chief Forest Whitaker ^[5] wore a kufi in Species. A groom wears a formal kufi in the film Five on the Black Hand Side. Most notable of famous appearances of the kufi cap was singer Marvin Gaye's image during his Let's Get It On period in the mid-1970s.

[edit] Zulu crown

The Zulu crown is a hat that is worn by the Zulu people of Southern Africa. It is usually worn by women. ^[6] In the Zulu language, this hat is called an isicholo. ^[7]

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

Traditionally when worn by men, it is a sign of peace, mourning, renewal, or protection of the mind.

[edit] See also

• Taqiyah (cap)--Traditional Muslim hat, also called a topi
• Kofia - cap worn in East Africa
• National costume
• Dashiki
• Women's wrapper and kaftan
• List of hats

[edit] Multimedia

• A slideshow of African religion in Trinidad & Tobago.
• African-American jews in Chicago, Illinois. for high speed internet users

[edit] Further reading

• Thony C. Anyiam, Jumping the Broom in Style (Authorhouse 2007).
• Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, Celebrating Kwanzaa (Holiday House 1993).