Out of Africa

"I'd like to go for the Bob Marley style," said a young Chinese male upon leafing through the hair style catalogue at Majesty Hair Salon in Xinyuanli, Chaoyang district. His enthusiasm for Rastafarianism didn't lessen when the hair stylist told him it'd take about three hours to transform his silky hair into a dreadlock hank. The hairdo of other celebrities of African descent, like actor Will Smith, US President Barack Obama and R&B singer Alicia Keys, are also some of the most popular in Beijing amongst a growing crowd of Chinese who want a perm, hair extensions or micro-braids. Two weeks ago there were only two places in town where Beijingers could go for these hairdos, but a new salon in Soho Shangdu and another one that is slated to open in Sanlitun soon will foster the drift towards African waves.

Thirty-year-old Beijinger Gao Bo is a self-confessed fan of reggae music, Bob Marley and drumming, with several incursions into Capoeira [Brazilian martial art]. "I'm afraid I don't know any African salons in town. But if their prices are reasonable, I'd visit," said Gao, who washed his dreadlocks for the last time six months ago. The Chinese drummer and bar owner had his dreadlocks done by a Chinese friend, who is also a musician. "Chinese people just use dreadlocks and braids as a fashion statement. They think it looks cool. They don't really know the culture behind the hair style," noted Gao, suggesting that foreign music might be one of the main reasons why dreadlocks are becoming popular in China.

"People are extremely curious and whisper a lot. They ask me if my hair is real and old ladies grab it on the subway," commented British scientist Elizabeth Ashforth, who wears a long blond mane of homemade dreadlocks. The 30-year-old expat agrees the style is cool and low maintenance, even though she washes hers every week with a special shampoo ordered online. "I was feeling a bit down at the time, studying hard for my PhD. I needed a change, but I didn't want to quit my studies, my boyfriend or my city, so I decided to change my hair," recalled Ashforth. "Even if only from the perspective of style, a new hairdo can open the way to learn more and better understand a different culture and its people," she added.

All knotted up

"My daughter once left the Chinese salon crying. Chinese hair stylists don't know how to handle curly hair because they're not used to it," said an African lady with a short spiky mane at one of the African hair salons in town. Many Africans or people of African descent shared their hair horror stories online. "I went to a standard hair salon and had to go back only five minutes after I left the place to have my hair shaved to the scalp. There is always Toni and Guy, but I'm not looking to spend my rent money on a hair cut," wrote an African Internet user.

"African hairdos aren't easy to learn. That's why it usually takes an African person or somebody else who has been specifically trained to do it," explained Natho Bamukanga, the master hair stylist at Majesty, the longest running African parlor in Beijing.

Majesty is owned by a British entrepreneur of African descent and opened its doors five years ago. "Chinese and African hair have different textures and needs. African hair is essentially curly and thicker. You can't just blow dry it and it'll be ready to go," said Bamukanga while she braided a client's hair.

Bamukanga arrived in Beijing in 2006 after she was hired in her hometown Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), by a Chinese entrepreneur, who opened the first African salon in town in Jianway Soho that closed last year.

The standard catalogue at African salons in town includes all services from relaxing to kinky twist with the braid extensions and micro-braids, which can take up to six hours to do, topping the price list at 1,500 yuan ($238). Products like shampoo and relaxing formula are imported from Europe, the US, Brazil and Africa.

Beyond color

"Oprah style is very popular amongst women and Chinese men often want to look like the NBA basketball stars," said Martha Makuena, co-owner of Paulma Hair Salon, which recently opened in Soho Shangdu. Makuena and her husband Paul Luyeye are the Congolese proprietors of the only salon in town that is 100 percent African. "Everyone is welcome. We cater not only to the African community, but also to foreigners and Chinese, who come for a regular haircut, perm, hair straightening or an Afro style," explained Makuena, who has a diploma in hair dressing and fashion design and another in Business Administration.

African entrepreneurs agree that being fluent in Chinese or having a Chinese business partner are advantages to fight bureaucracy and open a company here. Sometimes a feeling of discrimination towards Africans in China occurs in daily life. "Whenever I'm with my husband, I'm treated like a queen," said Aida Yang from Sierra Leone, whose husband is a Chinese painter and who will inaugurate Queenay's salon soon in Sanlitun. "But sometimes when I'm alone or with my African friends, we are looked down upon." They bear no resentment though, since they believe this attitude stems from ignorance over racism. "I've been here for 13 years, lived in different cities and really like China. Some of my best friends are Chinese," added Makuena.

African hair salons in Beijing

Paulma Hair Salon

Majesty Hair Salon

5946-7177, 8453-1527

Bestin Hair

www.bestinhair.cn

Queenay's (opening soon)

130-2198-7929