PICS: See The African/Madagascan People That Inspired Rihanna’s Latest Trending Hairdo Called The ‘Tanavoho’

by Nana Tamakloe April 4, 2020

April 4, 2020 15.9K views

Ghana

Celebrity Watch

Culture

There is a popular saying ‘There is nothing new under the sun’, and it’s probably because when it comes to everything beautiful, the people kissed by the sun have probably done it already.

In a recent editorial shoot by the racist Vogue magazine, that are now rebranding that part of itself, Rihanna features on the front cover with an outstanding and astonishing beautiful hairdo and look.

A hairstyle of twists with afro puff buttons. The goddess was stunning in almost every shot, and there is no doubt the creativity behind the hairdo was one to really admire and fairly similar to that of MzVee

PICS: MzVee Crashes Her Social Media Page With Her New Afro Puffed Faux Locs

But for those that don’t know, this hairstyle is one that is very common amongst the Malagasy people, a tribe that originated from Madagasca. There are various types of people amongst the set and they are of mixed African and Asian ancestry. Three Malagasy populations, Temoro, Vezo, and Mikea, have approx. 70% African ancestry and 30% Asian ancestry while others have lower African ancestry.

The group had different forms of hairstyles that adapts with age, marital status and circumstances. For example, the hairstyle for ceremony (family celebrations, ritual demonstrations…) ; the daily life hairstyle; and the hairstyle for mourning.

However, the Malagasy have habit to braid their hair. The hairstyle allows so to classify every individual in hierarchy or in its social function. In case of mourning, some prescripts give rise to modifications. Historically, to some tribes, to pay tribute to the deceased, the women and the men had to sacrifice their hair except the tribe leader.

But to bring it back to Rihanna, the style of which has been emulated by the hair stylist is called the Tanavoho. It is a female hairstyles, which was the common style for the single Sakalava women, the Sakalava being an etnic group living in the north of the island. It is a crown braid with large volume as seen below.