- Blackness and identity: In Cuba, an Afro hair care initiative goes to the roots and beyond - Scroll.inBlackness and identity: In Cuba, an Afro hair care initiative goes to the roots and beyond Scroll.in
- She couldn't find many places that styled Black hair. So she created her own. - CBC.caShe couldn't find many places that styled Black hair. So she created her own. CBC.ca
- In photos: ‘Wash Day’ honors a Black hair ritual - CNNIn photos: ‘Wash Day’ honors a Black hair ritual CNN
About
Info about Blackhair.me
This website is here to inform you about black hair, and we welcome your thoughts and contributions as BlackHair.me grows. The site is written and lovingly maintained by me. My name is Manashantii. This is my other website Manashantii and you can contact me via the contact form below.
My Personal Experience.
I had an afro from age Zero to eleven, then I had Jheri Curl perm followed by relaxer perm until I was age fifteen. I went natural at age 15 and I have kept an afro until December 2006 when I got my afro (B.A.A) twisted int ho starter locs. I aim to give tips and advice to those who want to know about afros and African locs. I have 40 years experience of wearing an Afro a B.A.A. (Big Azz Afro) I switched because I wanted longer hair and no longer wanted combing the hair I didn’t want extensions, nor did I want a short natural T.W.A (Teeny Weeny Afro). Although I could wear a wig or weave on, or extensions (over the locs) as well as wearing my hair as it is. I wanted to grow my own locks long.
In 2008 April I cut off my locks and shaved my head. I wore a Teeny Weeny Afro (T.W.A). I don’t know if I will wear locks ever again.I must let you know that if you decide to change your hair style from locks to a natural afro you can go to a salon and they can take it out for you without you cutting off your loc(k)s. (It can be achieved by using a conditioner and a gentle combing out process). In April 2010 I started contemplating growing dread(loc)ks again.
To summarise I have a total of 40 years experience of wearing an afro styled in various ways without extensions or colour, 2 years experience of wearing dreadloc(k)s and 4 years of Jheri curls perm and a relaxer perm. I am currently wearing an afro natural which is cornrowed, I wear a lace front wig over the cornrows.
I also have several years experience helping voluntarily in a natural hair salon. My knowledge comes from these experiences and also from reading books and surfing the net. I also have some knowledge about cosmetic chemistry. I have been making cosmetics for personal use and for friends since age 14.
Manashantii loves lyric poetry and smooth Jazz.
Manashantii’s favourite secular songs (In no particular order) are:-
1. Gabriela Anders = Brasileira
2. Omar Lye Fook = Music
3. Rachelle Ferrell = I Forgive You
4. Nnenna Freelon = Birks Works
5. Des’ree = Indigo Daisies
6. Des’ree and Terence Trent Darby (Sananda Maitreya) = Delicate
7. Tuck and Patti = Better than anything
8. Khani Cole = Somebody
9. India. Arie = God is Real
10. Maysa (Leak) =All my life
11. Des’ree = I’m kissing you
12. Ashford and Simpson = Solid
13. Lenny Kravitz= Let Love Rule
14. Dianne Reeves =Sky islands
15. Sade = Nothing Can Come Between Us
16. George and Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward = Summertime ( From “Porgy and Bess”) *Any version
17. The Brand New Heavies =Got To Give
18. Funkadelic = One Nation Under A Groove
19. Minnie Riperton = Only when I am dreaming
20. Jessy J (The Jazz saxophonist) = True love
21. Cindy Bradley = Unscripted
22. En Vogue = Free your mind
23. Rachelle Ferrell = Reflections of my heart
24. Maysa (Leak) = Mirrors
25. Omar Lye- Fook and Carleen Anderson = Who chooses the seasons
26. Tuck and Patti= In a sentimental mood (or sung by Ledisi or Julie Dexter or Sarah Vaughan or Cassandra Wilson)
27. The Emotions = How Can You Stop Loving Someone
28. The Emotions = God Will Take Care Of You
29. The Emotions = Flowers
30. Vicki Sue Robinson = Jealousy
31. Vicki Sue Robinson = Freeway song
32. Sade = When Am I Gonna Make A Living
33. The Supremes = Automatically Sunshine
34. Diana Ross = Doobee doobee Ndoobee
35. Maceo And The Macks = Cross the Track (We better go back)
36. Bob James = Angela (Theme from Taxi)
37. Bill Withers = Soul Shadows
38. The Doky Brothers featuring Dianne Reeves = Waiting in vain
39. Dianne Reeves = Waiting in Vain
40. Nina Simone or Nnenna Freelon or Lisa Simone, Dianne Reeves, Lizz Wright, Angelique Kidjo= Four women.
41. Cassandra Wilson = Strange fruit.
42. Nina Simone =Feeling good.
43. Minnie Riperton = Completeness
44. Minnie Riperton = Expecting
45. Minnie Riperton = Loving you
46. Aretha Franklin = I say a little prayer
47. Nina Simone= Images
48. Rotary Connection featuring Minnie Riperton = I am the black gold of the sun.
49. Lenny Kravitz = Black girl
50. Angie Stone = Brotha
51. India. Arie = Wings of Forgiveness.
52. M People = Just for you.
53. Lenny Kravitz= I belong to you.
54. Des’ree = You gotta be
55. Terence Trent D’arby (Sananda Maitreya) = To know someone deeply is to know someone softly
56. Terence Trent D’arby (Sananda Maitreya) = Letting go
57. Antonio Lucio Vivaldi = The Four Seasons.
58. Omar Lye-Fook = Ghana Emotion
59. Patti LaBelle = There’s a winner in you
60. Chaka Khan = Don’t talk to strangers
61. Terence Trent D’arby (Sananda Maitreya) = Sign your name
62. Prince =Thieves in the temple
63. Blessid Union Of Souls = I believe
64. Acacia = Stay in your own (Hate)
65. Black eyed peas = Where is the love?
66. Prince = Money don’t matter tonight.
67. Bill Withers = Grandma’s hands.
68. Aerosmith = Livin’ on the edge.
69. Malcolm Mclaren = Algernon’s awfully good at Algebra
70.Malcolm McLaren = I like you in velvet
71. Gilberto Gil = Toda Menina Baiana (Every Bahian Girl)
72. Carmen Lundy = Forgive me
73. Carmen Lundy = So Beautiful
74. Carmen Lundy = Grateful Part 2
75. Carmen Lundy = Time is love
76. Diana Ross = Tenderness
77. Diana Ross =Friend to friend
78. Diana Ross= The Boss
79. Diana Ross = I’m in the world.
80. Diana Ross= To love again
*My all time favourite instrumental Album = Bob James and Earl Klugh = One on One *My all time favourite vocal albums are Des’ree= Mind adventures.& India.Arie =Acoustic soul & Any Album by Omar Lye Fook or Diane Reeves= Quiet after the storm I like the 1960’s group called The Emotions. *My all time favourite singers are Minnie Riperton, Amy Winehouse, India. Arie, Maysa (Leak), Jhelisa (Anderson), Des’ree, Sade, Asa, (pronounced Asha) Tuck and Patti, Nina Simone, Ashford and Simpson, Fourplay, Omar Lye Fook and of course Lenny Kravitz. I also love Sixties Soul, Bossa Nova Jazz, Acid Jazz, Funk, Jazz Funk, I love rock and Jazz. *I also love Lizz Wright, Dianne Reeves, Angelique Kidjo, Cassandra Wilson, Ledisi,
My favourite film is “Coming to America”
Manashantii’s favourite foods are fusion cuisine, she likes Vegan African and Vegan Asian (Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and Cambodian)
Dish 1 = Kenkey or Enjera with black eye bean stew or Vegan Egusi stew with Kimchi, Marinated Tofu and or Vegan Moin-Moin and Tomato, lettuce and cucumber Salad !!
Dish 2 = Vegan Bi Bim Bap with Tofu and Fried plantain and ackees!
Picture Credits and Thanks
By all means send us your photos and news so we can show the world what can be done. The pictures at the top of this and other pages were kindly provided by the photogaphers under Creative Commons licenses, and a big thank you to these talented people for sharing with us.
From left to right they are by:
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Manashantii enjoys using Ubuntu a virus free African operating system which is free of charge to download and use. Ubuntu is a Nguni Bantu word which means humanity in some South African languages, Zimbabwe and Malawi languages.