Congolese Culture: The Sapeurs - Elegantly Dressed People

Recently, in Brazzaville, there was a funeral for a famous musician who was also a member of La SAPE - La Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes - literally the Society of Elegant People. In the chanting funeral procession were men in tapered trousers, suit jackets, dress shirts, suspenders, gloves, brogues, rakishly-tilted fedoras, waving cigars, and looking not unlike they stepped out of the 1930s American Harlem. Saphologie, as the movement is now called, revolves around looking flamboyantly good, preferably in designer labels (apparently retro-designer duds), but into which the hip-hop look has intruded. At one point in the movement's history three color suits were the thing. These Brazzaville sapeurs attending the funeral wore every colour under the rainbow. They also didn't mind being photographed, for in their fancy get-up they were at liberty to put aside the probable reality of their poverty to play make-believe of what they were not—important and wealthy. They strutted with attitude and postured like rappers. Except that La SAPE predates rap culture. Just after its independence from Belgium, first DRC president Mobutu banned anything western, from Christianity to clothing. A famous Kinshasa musician, whose love of fine labels was honed in France which he frequently visited on tour, rebelled against the edict by dressing ever more expensively, in western suits. He soon had followers and the elegance movement was born. Today, Paris remains the home of many Grand Sapeurs. One wears an eye patch as did many Brazzaville sapeurs in the funeral procession in emulation of him. I did see some women sapeurs in the crowd. They were dressed like men.

27-07-2008