After a trip to Kenya, likeUafrica is happy to offer in its assortment of African fabrics another cornerstone of printed fabrics (not handmade), typical of East Africa: the Kanga.

 Kanga is the traditional printed fabric of East African culture, and in this case, the references to neighboring Indian textile culture are clear in the aesthetic, which intersects with words and messages in the Swahili language of the coast between Tanzania and Kenya.

 One of the most fascinating aspects of the kanga is the messages printed on it: these are Swahili proverbs, sayings, and printed phrases that represent a subtle yet powerful form of communication; a way to express feelings, criticism, blessings, or messages of love.

 The message of this Kanga was translated for me by a local person: 'A gift is a joy for the heart.'

 The Kangas offered by likeUafrica are made of cotton and packaged as per tradition in a double sheet measuring 330 cm x 115 cm. The single piece therefore measures: 165 cm x 115 cm.
 We sell it both single and double, just select 1 or 2. The price indicated is for the single sheet complete with all 3 parts and the writing.
 The double cloth is symmetrical, composed of two mirrored parts, an edge and a center.

 Kanga was born in the 19th century along the Swahili coast, probably between Zanzibar (Tanzania) and Mombasa (Kenya), thanks to the meeting of different cultures: Portuguese fabrics (“lenços”), Indian cottons, Arabic motifs and European influences.

 One of the most widely accepted theories is that Swahili women sewed together six identical decorated handkerchiefs to create a single colored rectangle: thus the first true kanga was born.

 Traditionally, the kanga is a rectangle of colored cotton made up of three basic parts:

 1. Pindo – The decorated frame.
 2. Mji – The central motif.
 3. Jina – A Swahili writing, often a proverb, placed at the bottom.

 A fundamental name in the history of kanga is that of the Kaderdina family, founders of the historic Kaderdina Hajee Essak company, founded in Mombasa in 1887.
 The founder, Essak, left the port of Mandvi in India for East Africa at a very young age in 1843, landing in Zanzibar and then in Mombasa, where he began trading with the hinterland.

 In 1907, the Kaderdina family moved their business to the historic Biashara Street location in Mombasa. One of their descendants, Hajee Essak Abdulkaderdina, was the first to introduce proverbs printed on kangas in the 1930s, transforming these fabrics into a means of visual and social communication. This shop's tradition continues with ever-new and modern designs, like the ones we offer.

 Discover other Kanga fabric patterns