Burkina Faso: ACEBF unveils a repertoire of traditional Burkinabe hairstyles to promote culture

The Association hairdressers and beauticians of Burkina Faso (ACEBF) presented a repertoire of 54 traditional hairstyles representing Burkina Faso’s various ethnic groups at an event in Ouagadougou last Friday. The main aim of this initiative is to preserve and promote the aesthetic values associated with these hairstyles.

The association’s president, Youssouf Kaboré, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, explaining that they had collected 54 traditional hairstyles from different ethnic groups in Burkina Faso. The aim is to promote them by transforming them into artistic creations while respecting their traditional aspects. He underlined the exceptional cultural richness of Burkina Faso.

Funding for this project amounts to 29 million CFA francs, 25 million of which have been allocated by the Cultural Development Fund and 4 million by the association itself. The main aim of the project is to inform hairdressers taking part in international competitions about the authentic origins of hairstyles, their significance and the cultural elements that go with them.

Youssouf Kaboré also emphasised the important role played by hairstyles as a means of communication within certain communities. He gave the example of the specific hairstyles used among the Dagara to distinguish girls who have not reached puberty.

The official closing ceremony of the project, held on 1st September 2023 in Ouagadougou, presented a complete repertoire of traditional hairstyles representative of the different ethnic groups in Burkina Faso. ACEBF organised a fashion show to highlight the various women’s hairstyles from the Mossi, Gourounsi, Bissa, Bwaba and Tamachèque communities, among others.

Justine OUEDRAOGO