OPM Africa - Issue 3 | African Warriors

The Team

Publisher & Editor in Chief

Olamide Fabanwo

Head, Production Oluwagbenga Adekoya

Chief Technical Officer Oluwarotimi Onifade

Writers

Isiwat Adeyoola Leonie Chisom Motunrayo Adijat Adeneye

Designer & Stylist Chidinma Sunday

Make-Up Artists

Isiwat Adeyoola Eniola Adeyemi

Visual Artist Olasubomi Onaneye Models

Chidinma Sunday Joan Onyimadu Roqeeb Adeyoola Eniola Adeyemi Adebola Odunlade Temitayo Osituga Oluwatoyosi Ajibola Abiodun Odumaran

Guest Writer

Oluwafeyifunmi Toyo

Editor’s Note

Opulent Magazine Africa is committed to telling the African story from every perspective, every tribe, and every nation in Africa Our mission is to celebrate and make people around the world learn more about Africa, its lifestyle, and culture We want to be the African magazine of choice for individuals around the world, art lovers, creatives, and highly talented professionals The magazine will be what people look at first to know about Africa

The culture in Africa is varied and manifold, consisting of a mixture of countries with various tribes that each have their own unique characteristic from the continent of Africa Opulent Magazine Africa is committed to showing off these lifestyles. We will always find a way to do the best we can for our readers leveraging technology, new ideas, and a support system so that your experience with us will be as easy and smooth as humanly possible.

This issue of Opulent Magazine Africa is a special edition featuring brave African warriors that you should know; The Dahomey (Amazons) Warriors & Queen Amanirenas. We also discussed melanin skin as we do every issue, Senegalese twists, and our guest writer "Oluwafeyifunmii spoke on "Natural Hairstyles and Self care Tips".

Editor in Chief

Olamide Fabanwo

A F R I C A N W A R R I O R S

Writer: Isiwat Adeyoola

The earliest mention of ancient African warriors is found in the history of ancient Egypt, one of Africa's earliest known civilizations. Many other ancient African kingdoms had equally strong warriors, some including the Somali and Mali Empires and the Dahomey warriors who were an all female army. African kingdoms largely depended on their warriors and military for protection and expansion A strong military guaranteed that many larger kingdoms were feared by smaller ones and maintained their dominance for many centuries Among all of those great warrior tribes, some stood out as the strongest warrior tribes, either for their unique strategy of fighting, the weapons they use, and their leaders

Here are some of the strongest warrior tribes in Africa:

Somali People: They are undisputedly the most powerful African tribe there can ever be. The Somali people were the first Africans to conduct naval warfare, especially against a European

superpower like the Portuguese Empire in medieval times defeating them in naval combat during the Ajuran Portuguese wars. Spear and Shield (Waran Iyo Gashaan) was the main weapon of the Somali people, they also used bow and arrow. These great warriors were the first Africans to acquire modern weapons during the medieval period with their powerful Somali commander called Ahmed Gurrey who conquered and colonized Abyssinia for 14 years.

Zulu Tribe: They are the most famous tribe by far for their fighting capability They are the largest tribe in southern Africa and are known to be a mighty fighting tribe that gave Britain a run for its money despite the fact of not having advanced weapons The iconic Zulu weapons were a shield, a stabbing spear, and a throwing spear. The most popular Zulu shield was the Isihlangu, a 1.5m (5ft) battle shield made out of cowhide; they were tough and durable but fared less well against colonial rifles.

Mali Empire: They are famously known for establishing the most powerful Empire in West Africa and with its powerful military capability they were able to colonize many tribes in West Africa Forcing the North African Berbers to submit a tribute and successfully resist the Portuguese incursion. Their infantry was mainly armed with spears and longbows laced with a deadly poison that could kill within 30 minutes

Massai Tribe: They are famously known for being fierce warriors and herders that dominated the plains of Kenya and Tanzania. They even fight and hunt down lions showing off their strength. The seme (ol alem), or lion's sword, is the constant sidearm of the Maasai man. It is a light short sword that is a double edged, leaf shaped spatulate blade, often made from spring steel

T

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Origin

The Dahomey Amazons were an all female military army of the Republic of Benin which was known at the time as the Kingdom of Dahomey The kingdom was largely made up of the Fon people, who were situated towards the south of the country sandwiched by Togo to the left and Nigeria to the right. King Houegbadja (1645 1685), the third King of Dahomey, is said to have originally started the group as a corps of elephant hunters called the gbeto. This unusual emergence of an all female military regiment was the result of Dahomey's male population facing high casualties in frequent warfare with neighboring west African states, as well as Dahomey being forced to annually give male slaves to the Oyo Empire in Nigeria

Recruitment

Both men and women soldiers were recruited from foreign captives, although some free

Dahomean women soldiers were also recruited, some were enrolled at a very young age as young as 8 years old. Other accounts indicate that the female warriors were recruited from among the ahosi (king's wives) of which there were often hundreds. Some women in Fon society became soldiers voluntarily, while others were involuntarily enrolled if their husbands or fathers complained to the king about their behavior

The women's army consisted of several regiments: huntresses, riflewomen, reapers, archers, and gunners, and each regiment had different uniforms, weapons, and commanders

Way of life

The Dahomey warriors were not allowed to have children or partake in any form of family life, as they were formally married to the King. He didn't have sexual relations with them as a result, they remained celibate, although very

Writer: Isiwat Adeyoola isiwat adeyoola@theopmafrica com

Models: Joan Onyimadu, Oluwatoyosi Ajibola Roqeeb Adeyoola, Eniola Adeyemi Adebola Odunlade, Temitayo Osituga & Abiodun Odumaran

MUA: Beautydorm

Photographers: Olasubomi Onaneye Olamide Fabanwo

Q U E E N A M A N I R E N A S

Origin

The Nubian people can trace their origins to the land of Kush in what is today known as Sudan Their northern neighbors the Egyptians referred to Nubia as, "Ta Seti" which means the "Land of Bows" because Nubian hunters and warriors were known to excel as archers. Queen Amanirenas was a queen of the Kingdom of Kush from 40 BC to 10 BC Her full title was Amnirense Qore li kdwe li ("Ameniras, qore and kandake")

Queen Amanirenas is one of the most famous kandakes (the title given to a ruling queen), because of her role in leading Kushite armies against the Romans in a war

Battle

(How She Conquered the Roman Army) Emperor Caesar Augustus of the Roman Empire defeated the Egyptians and made Egypt one of the provinces of the Roman Empire, he decided to expand further south into the kingdom of Nubi Kush was much smaller than the Roman Empire when Queen Amanirenas received the news of the impending Roman attack; she had to think swiftly and strategically because she had a smaller army Queen Amanirenas decided to launch a surprise attack on the Romans; she led from the front with her son by her side and her army of about 30,000 Nubian soldiers, armed with swords, bows, and arrows to fight the Romans in Egypt. Her surprise attack was highly successful and she captured three major Roman cities. Her army went on to deface many statues of Emperor Augustus as a statement of their victory. Emperor Augustus was extremely angered by this so, he retaliated by invading Kush. The Kush kingdom was defeated by the Romans, its old capital was destroyed and thousands of Kushites were sold into slavery. The Romans claimed victory for defeating Kush, but the war was not over yet.

The Treaty

As the battles between Kush and Rome continued, Queen Amanirenas was blinded in one eye by a Roman soldier After her wound healed, she went back to leading her army in several more battles against the Romans, which is why Amanirenas was described as brave, and

blind in one eye. After three years of battle, a peace treaty, highly favorable to the Nubians, was signed Emperor Caesar Augustus agreed to take his army out of Egypt, give the Nubians back their land, and cancel all taxes.

Her legacy

In its history, the legacy of Queen Amanirenas is assured with the survival of the Nubian Kingdom for another 400 years. Later, during colonial domination, some Nubian people were co opted into the British army and even fought in World War II. Upon their return, they were settled in Kenya's capital city. That is why there is a significant Nubian population today in Kibra in Nairobi

T H E S E N E G A L E S E T W I S T S

The Senegalese twist has been around for quite some time now although some people don't know what it is or they don't exactly know what it's called but you're going to be seeing a lot about it so let's start with a little introduction.

What exactly are Senegalese twists? The Senegalese twist is a well known protective hairstyle for African ladies who want to care for their natural hair. Just as the name suggests, it was birthed in Senegal, a West African country.

It has been a thing for West African ladies since the 2000s but gained a lot of popularity sometime in 2015 when a popular magazine was criticized heavily by Black women for using them on a Caucasian model and not an African

The Senegalese twists take 6 8hours to get installed and can last for 8 16weeks. It all depends on your stylist and how well you care for your twists. People love the Senegalese twist because of how cost effective it is in terms of maintenance, how easy it is to maintain, and its style You can even fix your twists yourself; there are lots of tutorial videos on YouTube

Senegalese Twists vs Box Braids

Box Braids is another popular hairstyle for African women. The South Africans were the first to discover this hairstyle but here in Nigeria, it was discovered around 2017/2018.

Ladies love box braids because of how versatile and easy to style they are and this is why they have been compared to Senegalese twists a lot. But which is better?

As someone who has tried out the two hairstyles, I can say that in terms of longevity, box braids last longer this is because box braids involve three strands of hair while twists involve just two but then again it depends on how well you care for your twists

When it comes to weight, Senegalese twists are way lighter and more comfortable to carry than box braids so if you're not a fan of heavy hair dos, then you should go for the Senegalese twist.

Styling

There are so many ways to style your Senegalese twist; you can turn your twist into cornrows for a girly, sexy look; you can also make it into a high or low bun, a short Bob, a ponytail, french braids, or even use one with a colour that's not black. Yes, Senegalese twists also come in different colours.

Caring For Your Senegalese Twists

If you want it to last long enough, you'll need to take good care of your twist. Firstly, you should wash your hair at least once a week This is to maintain the freshness of the hair and keep it glowing like it was when you first made it

Secondly, you must protect your hair at night. Ensure it's well packed and covered with a satin bonnet or scarf. This is to prevent the hair from pulling out while you're asleep

Finally, you should try to moisturize your twist with natural oil to keep it neat and smelling nice. In summary, the Senegalese twist doesn't need many styling kits or creams Keep it simple and on a moderate level and you will enjoy your twists

The Senegalese Twists: Pros & Cons

Yes, the Senegalese twist is a nice hairstyle and can have heads turning in your direction on every occasion but it also has its downside. The advantages of the Senegalese twists are:

1) It's a great way to improve the growth of your natural hair No breakages, no worries

2) They can last long if taken good care of properly.

3) They can be maintained with low cost equipment/materials.

4) They are versatile.

However, the time used in installing and uninstalling is long, you could sit for hours. Be well prepared if you plan on going with this hairstyle Another disadvantage is the cost of installation.

The Senegalese twist is one hairstyle I believe every African lady should try out at least once in their lifetime. It gives off that African look and could get you looking like an African lady.

Contact Chisom Leonie: chisom leonie@theopmafrica com

Writer: Chisom Leonie

Models: Joan Onyimadu Oluwatoyosi Ajibola

MUA: Bluebrush & Blush

Photographer: Olamide Fabanwo

Natural hair has gained popularity in the African community in recent years, while for many decades, many African women looked too harsh chemicals to alter their Natural texture, in more recent times, young African girls and women are embracing and learning to love their hair just how it grows out of their scalp. The beauty of Natural hair is more prevalent in TV, social media, and digital spaces, and young girls are provided the opportunity to learn about their textured hair.

Although the embrace of natural hair has taken off, donning natural hair is arguably more complicated than it sounds, any women who have decided to embrace their coils and kinks do not necessarily understand how to and in some parts of Africa, still face daily discrimination and criticism for choosing to wear their hair just the way it is.

Self care is a phrase we hear all the time, but what does it mean? Self care goes beyond indulging in a glass of wine or a hot bath, instead, it should be about practicing mindfulness and being attuned to your body's needs that include your hair's needs. The education about self love and acceptance is essential as young girls and women grow up and become more exposed to conversions, inquiries, and questions that can shape how they view their Natural hair.

You may ask "Is getting your hair done considered a form of self care"? The answer is Absolutely There is a reason so many ladies see salon time and haircare time as therapeutic. Taking out time to refresh your hair, exfoliate the scalp, try out new hairstyles, or enjoy an in salon hair treatment can be a relaxing form of self care. Hair care is an investment in your confidence and happiness, and self haircare is a simple way to repair and refresh. Your hair is an expression of who you are

With the input of African Youtubers, Natural Hair vloggers, and digital creators have emerged a well of knowledge on doit yourself hair care practices for textured ladies. Africa vloggers demonstrate product selection through detangling, shampooing, moisturizing, and styling their coiled hair using their own life experiences with self care in form of exercise, healthy eating, and stress management while maintaining healthy and stylish hair. This has helped dispel myths about tightly coiled Natural hair and is a credible resource for the distribution of knowledge and information aimed at reaching many African girls and women

With the input of African Youtubers, Natural Hair vloggers, and digital creators have emerged a well of knowledge on do it yourself hair care practices for textured ladies Africa vloggers demonstrate product selection through detangling, shampooing, moisturizing, and styling their coiled hair using their own life experiences with self care in form of exercise, healthy eating, and stress management while maintaining healthy and stylish hair This has helped dispel myths about tightly coiled Natural hair and is a credible resource for the distribution of knowledge and information aimed at reaching many African girls and women

Almost every Naturalista wants hair that is strong, shiny, healthy, and long but it can be challenging to challenging to achieve your Hair goals because it may take a while to get a hang of things and setbacks might happen in your hair journey. Genes play a role when it comes to your hair type, volume, rate of growth, and all, but that doesn't mean you have no control over your hair.

Here are some tips that could help you along your Natural hair thrive and could simplify your Hair journey:

Diet is an important part of hair growth: Having healthy and thriving hair isn't necessarily only taking care of the hair on your scalp, hair care is holistic and healthy hair comes from within, so what you feed your body affects the quality of hair you produce on the outside. You want to make sure you're getting the proper amount of nutrients from your fruits, veggies, and vitamins Some certain Vitamins and minerals are important for hair growth like Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, Irons and Zinc, and Proteins so you want to research foods that contain these and incorporate them into your meals You might also consider taking supplements but that's optional and up to you. Your body also needs water to thrive, and stay hydrated, so make sure you're drinking lots of water too!

Get your hair routine together: This is super duper important because having a Hair routine is like having a map that will guide your hair from where it

is now, to where you want to get it to. You'll need to decide how often you do things like washing your hair, deep conditioning, moisturizing, scalp massages, strengthening treatments, and protective styling. Your routine doesn't have to be complex, but you'll need to do these activities consistently to see results, so plan it out to easily fit into your schedule. Keeping your hair moisturized should be a big part of your hair routine because this is essential for Natural hair dry hair turns to brittle hair, and brittle hair breaks off nobody wants that because that is counter productive for length retention.

Learn your hair's characteristics and find basic products that work well for you: Learning your hairs porosity (whether it is low, normal, or high porosity), your texture (fine or thick), or your density (thin or thick) will help you know the products and layering techniques that may or may not work for you. A bit of experimenting or trial and error may be necessary to find what your hair likes

Always track your hair's progress: Take pictures of your hair for easy comparison, so you can see changes in length and volume A common misconception among Naturals is that their hair isn't growing, which might not be the case because of shrinkage, you might not get to see the full length and volume of your hair all the time. Tracking your hair progress with pictures and length checks will help you see and evaluate if your hair routine is working if you're retaining length and volume or if you'll need to switch things up.

Consistency is the major key: Having a hair routine or even having an amazing stash of products is completely wasted if you're not being consistent with it. That is why it is important to come up with a routine that fits easily into your schedule Regular moisturizing and sealing of your hair is important, don't allow your hair to get super dry because it would lead to breakage which is counterproductive for length retention.

Keep your hair protected: Low maintenance and protective styles like flat twists, twists, cornrows, and braids help minimize breakage which aids length retention, so you want to incorporate these into your routine if length is one of your hair goals. Protective styles help with prolonging the time between re styling, so you aren't overmanipulating your hair and causing frequent damage. If you are someone that likes to rock your hairstyles, putting them in low manipulation styles that you could wear for days to a week is a good idea It is also important to keep your hair protected from physical damage which can occur from wearing "too tight" hairstyles and putting pressure on the same spot regularly (with styles like afro puff).

Learn from people with similar textures: A major mistake many Naturals make is watching videos of ladies with totally different textures from theirs. This sets unrealistic expectations on how your hair will turn out when you try certain hairstyles There is no point taking hair care tips and advice from someone with a different hair type from yours, this will only lead to frustration and disappointment, instead, follow people that have similar hair types and textures and learn from their hair journey. Note that ultimately, everyone's hair is unique, but this will give you a great start to learning and finding out what works for your hair.

Get trims when needed and keep your ends protected: Trimming your ends encourages hair growth and healthy hair, it may sound counter intuitive, but your ends are the oldest part of your hair and after some time starts to get split and ragged this leads to dangles, single strand knots, and breakage It is important to incorporate trims into your hair care routine to keep them healthy, thick, and with minimal frizz Since everyone's hair routine is different, (how often you manipulate your hair plays a major role in how often your ends would need to be trimmed), it may be better to trim when needed and not on a schedule because you just might be trimming when you don't need it!

Cut down excessive heat: Using direct heat too frequently will lead to major damage, apart from damaging your natural coil pattern, in more severe cases, the hair is singed, breaks off, and falls out There are lots of heatless methods to stretch Type 4 hair like African threading, twists, braids, and banding, these are safer options for your hair. Using direct heat occasionally isn't bad in itself, especially when you control the temperature of your heat tools and use a heat protectant, but don't go overboard with it to avoid damage

Refrain from comparing your hair to others and enjoy the process: Fall in love with your texture, learn and love your hair, its texture, and coil pattern(s) because it is unique to you If you're trying to apply self care practices to your air care routine, it's all about relaxing, stopping seeing hair care as a chore, and giving your hair some much needed TLC. Simple acts of self care are easy to incorporate into your hair care routine and performing them can help create a greater appreciation of your hair journey. These are some ways to integrate self care into your hair care regimen.

Create a self care routine around wash day: Most time, Naturals look at washdays as a chore. The easiest way to incorporate self care techniques is to combine them with something you're already doing. Set aside dedicated time to thoroughly shampoo, conditioner, and style your hair. Don't be in a rush to get through the process cleanse, detangle and condition with care. Look for products with quality ingredients that cater to your specific hair type. Pamper your coils with a hair mask or deep conditioning treatment take some time to sit back and relax while your hair absorbs the products, and do something you enjoy doing reading, YouTube videos, and or Netflix shows

Incorporate Calming Scalp Massages: Scalp massages are great to improve blood circulation, relieving tension, and helping with relaxation. Scalp massages aren't only good for your wellbeing, they can also help improve hair health; they help promote growth and condition the scalp. Scalp massages are an easy self care technique and can be incorporated weekly, if not daily for stress relief.

The journey to loving your Natural hair can be complicated (perhaps that's why it is referred to as a journey and not a race), we want it to be longer, thicker, healthy, etc. but more often than not, most Naturals treat it with dread and like a chore rather than nurturing it with patience Haircare doesn't have to be an activity we simply tolerate; it can be a joyous act of self care that we all deserve.

MAKE YOUR MELANIN GLOW

Writer: Motunrayo Adijat Adeneye

Have you ever thought of making your melanin skin glow and free from acne? It takes a lot of dedication to take care of the skin considering a black brownish to red yellowish skin color, you have to dedicate time to making yourself beautiful Everyone has a natural pigment in the skin called melanin which is found in the hair, skin, and eye color of people and animals

Having melanin helps to prevent the skin from UV light. The skin cells that help in the production of melanin are called melanocytes In the melanocytes, there is a melanosome which is the site of melanin production in the process called melanogenesis Melanin is produced during the oxidation of a protein called tyrosine

Melanin is present in all skin types, Everyone has a different amount of melanin in their skin cells which is a factor to know your skin There are five basic types of melanin: eumelanin, pheomelanin, neuromelanin, all melanin, and pheomelanin. The most common type is eumelanin and Pheomelanin. Eumelanin gives two colors brown and black and light which reduces the higher risk of skin cancer by producing more melanin. Pheomelanin gives colors like red, and yellow to others and may have a higher risk of cancer because it has a low amount of melanin

The factors which determine the type of color are:

The type of melanin.

The amount of melanin in the melanosome

The amount of melanosome in the epidermis

The factors also vary from person to person which determines their skin color. Melanosomes are the melanin factory in the melanocytes but for this melanin to be produced, the melanosome is transported through the keratinocyte melanocytes. In the keratinocyte, the melanosome forms a cap around the nucleus in which the melanin absorbs the sun's ultraviolet light, reducing the one that gets to the nucleus. The UV light that gets to the nucleus can affect the DNA and cause mutation which may lead to cancer If the UV light increase, melanin increases, and more melanosomes are present in the keratinocyte.

There are different ways in which you can make melanin glow.

Skincare routine: After a long day out, you can take a nice bath to wash off sweat and dirt away from the skin. You can also use a cleanser on the skin to remove dirt from the skin, especially dry and flaky skin Moisturize your skin daily to get shiny and shimmering skin You can add Shea butter oil or coconut oil to any skin care treatment that works for your skin. There are other kinds of oil to use like vitamin C and E oil, aloe vera oil, and so on While trying to make your skin glow, use the oils in moderation. Just a little dab in the hand is enough then apply on the skin when damp rather than dry skin You can rub gently on the skin and every part of the body.

Those who don't like to be too oily can reduce the quantity of the oil that is been used. Exfoliate your skin to remove the dead skin cells to reveal more glowing skin. You can exfoliate twice or thrice a week to avoid redness and irritation on the skin

Healthy food for healthy skin: Eating healthy foods by adding fruits and vegetables to your meals can help to produce antioxidants which help to improve the color of the skin. Certain fruits like orange, pawpaw, grapes, cucumber, beetroots, watermelon, and avocado contain vitamins and minerals that help to make the skin healthy. Getting enough vitamin E along with vitamin C is essential for helping protect your skin against damage from inflammation These vitamins help in healing and protect the skin against damage from the skin to avoid aging. As well as eating vegetables like carrots, broccoli, tomato, bell pepper, pumpkin, and sweet potato helps the skin to grow healthy and glow. Avoid certain foods like dairy products to reduce the oil production in the skin which can create skin pores to allow easy penetration of substances

Drink water when dehydrated: Water is important to us There are different ways water is removed from the body through sweat and urine which can make us dehydrated. Drinking a least 5 to 8 glasses of water every day is good for healthy skin. The water increases the metabolic rate and helps to flush out toxins from the body. To get glowing skin, there should be a balance in the pH level of the body. Skin cells need water to function properly and also water helps in transporting nutrients to the skin cells. Black is beautiful.

Writer: Motunrayo Adijat Adeneye motunrayo adeneye@theopmafrica com

Models: Isiwat Adeyoola Eniola Adeyemi

MUAs: Beautydorm Bluebrush & Blush

Photographer: Olamide Fabanwo