1. Please tell us your name, where you are from and what you do for a living.
Hi, my name is Emmanuel Amberber. I’m from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and I’m presently living in India. I’ve lived here since 2006
I am an entrepreneur and thought leader.
2. How long have you worn dreads?
Since 2003, and have cut my hair only once since then.
3. What or who inspired you to get dreadlocks in the first place? Tell us your story, and the journey which led you to wear dreads.
My hair dreads quite easily. I chose this style because it is low maintenance, not because of the aesthetics. It is functional more than trendy.
In Ethiopia, dreadlocks are a foreign concept, despite associations with the Rastafarians in Jamaica. I was 16 at the time and decided to grow dreads for no real reason except to try something different for a change. At the time, I wasn’t living at home, so there was no one to question my choice.
When I’m stressed, I tend to knot the dreads. And when I’m relaxed, I unknot them. You can tell when I’m stressed by the tightness of the knots in my hair.
4. Have you ever been called names or abused because of your dreadlocks?
I haven’t faced abuse, just thousands of request to touch my hair by fascinated strangers in India
a) What did this feel like?
When I first arrived in India, the Immigration Officer asked if my hair was real.
b) Did it make you question your dreads or regret having them?
No. Never thought of cutting them. I keep the style simple and occasionally toy with the idea of styling it differently.
c) What was your response?
I have learnt to be polite when people ask if they can touch my hair, my response these days is, “Sure, do you mind if I touch your beard?”
d) What would you do differently in hindsight if you could go back to that situation?
Sometimes, the fascination and questions can get tiring, but it’s also nice because the people in India view dreadlocks as an exotic hairstyle.
5. What has your partner, friends and family said about your dreads? Are they supportive? How?
My family was not too surprised when I made the decision to dread my hair. When they saw my new hairstyle, they asked if I was sure this is how I wanted to style my hair and my response was, ‘yes.’ They didn’t bother to ask anymore questions and just accepted my choice.
a) Do you they understand your choice?
Maybe not. Dreadlocks are actually uncommon in Ethiopia. But, they just brushed it off as a teenage fancy. And at some point, they just got used to it
6. What are your plans for the future? Do these include dreads? Why or why not?
I don’t treat my dreads as something external. It is a part of me.
I work in a startup environment where everyone is a non-conformist and I face absolutely no discrimination at work because of my locs. I doubt I’ll ever work in a corporate environment that has strict dress code, so the dreads are here to stay. Anyway, it’s what I bring to the table that’s important, not my hairstyle.
We couldn’t agree more!
7. Please provide us with your social media contacts and website to be included in the article.
Twitter: @emmanuelamber
Thank you!