Exploring The Traditional Attires Of Sierra Leone

SEASON 5, EPISODE 18

Sierra Leone, a nation rich in history, diversity, and tradition, nestled on the West African coast, is home to diverse ethnic groups, vibrant landscapes, each contributing unique elements to the country’s cultural mosaic. From the Mende and Gola communities to the Krio and Sherbro people, the cultural diversity is reflected in their customs, languages, and ways of life.

On today’s episode of Learn Africa, we journey through the threads of history as we explore some of the traditional clothing worn by the people of Sierra Leone, which is a part of their cultural heritage. Join us as we uncover some of these clothes.

Kpokpo

The Kpokpo, also known as ‘country cloth’ is a significant traditional fabric deeply rooted in the culture of the Mende ethnic group in Sierra Leone. It is a special kind of fabric locally made by hand from weaving cotton into strips using a tripod loom. It is a thick, heavy cloth made from cotton into strips, sewn together to form the final cloth.

This is the wonderful Mustapha Kallon who worked with his father from the age of 8 and that they presented cloth to Queen Elizabeth in 1977. 
Historians suggest that weaving practices in Sierra Leone date back over a thousand years, pic.twitter.com/3ILFm8KbHs

— Shwen Shwen by Maria (@ShwenShwenbyM) September 14, 2023

The country cloth is popular among the people of Sierra Leone. People from the Mende and Gola groups use it for different purposes, like simple shirts or fancy wall decorations. Chiefs or important leaders often wear Kpokpo cloth to show their high status.

Gara

Gara is a cloth like a wrapper worn by the people of Sierra Leone just like Liberia’s lappa. It is made by an age-old process of tie-dye. It is done by folding, twisting or crumpling a plain fabric, then tying it into desired patterns using a rope or string, and finally applying the dye. It is synonymous with the Krio and Sherbro people. Gara cloth is made into different geometric patterns, designs, and colours.

Gara cloth is worn by males and females and is often tailored into dresses, shirts, trousers, and head-wraps.

Ronko

Ronko is a cloth made from strips of country cloth dyed in rusty reddish brown colour using local pigments. This clothing was worn specifically by hunters, initiated in the past and is believed to have spiritual protective powers embedded in the local pigments used to dye the cloth and sometimes amulets tied on it. Over time, there have been modern versions of the ronko cloth, Hu-Ronko which can be a shirt worn by males or dress by females.

Boubou

Boubou is a classic loose, flowing garment worn by various ethnic groups in Sierra Leone, especially the people . The boubou comes in different designs and different patterns. Boubou is worn by both men and women. It is also worn for festive and cultural events and to mark celebrations.

Beyond clothing, Sierra Leone’s traditional attires encompass a variety of adornments, including beads, seeds, cowrie shells, amulets, and metals. These embellishments, akin to the garments, bear profound cultural symbolism and are commonly donned during special events and ceremonies.

Written and edited by Ebby