Singer Rihanna revealed that she was eager to braid her sons' hair as it represents a 'form of protection' passed down by her ancestors.
"This is a form of protection by our ancestors... It makes us realize where we’ve come from," the 'Diamonds' singer told Vogue China.
She further added, “This is our lost history. I immediately wanted my children to have their hair braided... It’s something in our blood.”
Rihanna shares two sons, 22-month-old RZA and 7-month-old Riot, with her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky, as reported by pagesix.com.
The singer credits him with teaching her more about the cultural history behind braiding.
“I really learned a lot being around him, but even with him, he wore his hair in pigtails. It’s just a thing of the past,” she shared.
Rihanna talked about her own experience getting her hair braided while growing up in Barbados.
“It was all a local mom could do for her kids. Some people grow up in single-parent families, with moms working three jobs, and they don’t have time to kiss you every day when you go to school,” she said.
“This is a form of protection, our roots, and a tradition left by our ancestors. At the end of the day, it’s still beautiful, and I love it. From an aesthetic standpoint, there are so many things you can do with braids and so many looks you can achieve.
Rihanna said that she remembers seeing this scene all the time when she was a kid.
The 'Umbrella' hitmaker added: “Tourists coming to Barbados, sitting on the beach in the sun, braiding their hair and letting it go. In fact, I have wanted to do this myself since I was a child, but in the end, I would let the girls at home or neighbours comb my hair.”
“My mom also braids my hair, but she always sends me to the salon to get it braided because it lasts longer.”
(With IANS inputs)