When they became parents, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky knew right away that their children would have braided hair. And it wasn’t an aesthetic choice. In both their cultures, braids have a strong history and legacy. “It is a form of protection from our ancestors. (…) It makes us realize where we come from,” explains the singer Vogue ChinaOn the cover of the April issue.
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Indeed, during the period of slavery, braids were a real means of survival for slaves. By hiding rice seeds through the branches of their hairstyles, they were used to avoid drought during maroonage. “It’s our story, and I immediately wanted my kids to have braided hair. It’s something that’s in our blood,” the Barbadian continues.
The father of her two young boys, rapper A$AP Rocky, also from Barbados, almost always wears his hair in braids. Thanks to him, the artist was able to learn more about the cultural history of braids. “I learned a lot from her, wearing her hair in braids for so many years. It is really a thing of the past,” adds Mata.
Generation after generation
If the braid is important to her partner, it is also important to her. The artist talks about how braiding was a moment of mother and child care and how it can mean love and protection. “This is all a local mother can do for her children. “Some people grow up in single-parent families, where moms work three jobs, and they don’t have time to kiss you every day when you go to school,” says Rihanna. “It is a form of protection. This is our roots. It is a tradition left by our ancestors.” It was clear to the couple then: their children would wear braids. And then the singer did not hide the aesthetic side they showed. She told the magazine, “You can do so many things with braids and you can achieve so many looks.”
Braids are a symbol of identity in African culture, which later became popular around the world. Rihanna also remembers seeing tourists, sitting on the beaches of Barbados, with their hair braided on numerous occasions. “I always wanted to braid my hair myself since I was a child, but eventually I let girls at home or neighbors do my hair. My mom also braided my hair, but she always wanted me to go to a hairdresser so my braids would last longer,” explains the “Hira” singer.
Braids are much more than a hairstyle that has been worn since ancient times. This ancestral art is a legacy that has been passed down among women since the dawn of time, from mothers to daughters. It seems the boys are worried today too, and Rihanna is busy looking after it.
