Dreadlocks: The latest trend in Town

Its official,dreadlocks are here to stay this time. Surprisingly the culture of dreadlocks has of late been adopted aggressively in major urban towns in Kenya.

In Thika to be specific, salons are mushrooming in major buildings offering dreadlocks treatment(for lack of a better word). Thika has Kings of dreadlocks who major with locking of dreads(mmhh). Victory Plaza has more than three salons offering these services which means that Thika has a nice market as far as this new style is concerned. Coincidentally many of these salons have other branches around town. Victory Plaza has Davies Salon and Jawknee Dreadlocks with many other mushrooming around town.

 

All these salons are experts by all standards and are the main trail blazers in the Town. Matter of fact, out of five dreadlocked heads you spot in Thika, 4 are courtesy of these salons. This brings me to the part where am supposed to examine the revolution of dreadlocks up to their current place in the contemporary fashion .

Research reveals that dreadlocks could after all trace their roots to Africa and to be specific Kenya and Tanzania..WHHATT//..Many of us may tend to think that dreadlocks originated from Jamaica or Ethiopia but Rastafarians just started having them from the 1950s. However they had been donned by the Ashanti, Red Indians, Ancient Egyptians and pre-Columbian Aztecs.

All these groups started having dreadlocks centuries after the Maasai of Kenya who have had them since their existence. Matter of fact to the Maasai, dreadlocks are a way of life. They are smeared with red ochre and its a great sight when you meet these tall brave Morans with red heads. Before being adopted into the modern fashion, dreadlocks have maintained a spiritual meaning and the best example would the Rastafarians.

  

For Jamaicans, the Columbian Aztecs, the Baye Falle Muslims, the Hindu Sheiva followers dreadlocks are associated with religion.
So when did dreadlocks hit the mainstream?? The last 5 years has seen a surge in the number of dreadlock wearers. Long are the days when a deadlocked guy would attract puzzled looks and grins in offices and streets. Nowadays they have been embraced by all age groups

Personally I find dreadlocks captivating especially the long ones donned by ladies..However I dislike the unclean dangling and unkempt locks. Which brings the question, whats the secret to those black, dyed, clean locks that keep everyone gazing down the streets?. I thinks its time we invited an expert to shed more light..keep it here as one of these fine days Thika Live will get an audience with one.
Dreads,nutty,locks..whatever you call them are here to stay. The stigma that has lived with dreadlocked people since they are not considered formal is rapidly whizzing away. Long gone are the days when dreadlocks were the preserve of the civil society, radical groups and societal rebels. Nowadays, you might visit a bank and get served by a dreadlocked teller. Imagine your Sunday sermon being delivered by a dreadlocked reverend?
pictures courtesy of Google