Thursday, July 1, 2010

Going Rasta: Making Dreadlocks along Colon Street

Let us paint the town green, yellow, and red -- the tri-color brand sans the ugly indulgence (please!).

I am not practicing the Rastafari lifestyle, but I can see the good out of this often regarded bizarreness. It's just got to be appreciation of its music and fashion if you can.

I chanced upon an uncommon activity in downtown Colon area (the oldest street in the Philippines). Making dreadlocks while street goers were too mindful of their own business? That's rare that I had to stop by, observing, examining, and for the sake of knowing the tedious process, interviewing the dreadlock stylist.

The whole part isn't easy, weaving each section by a crochet needle for some 20 minutes multiplied by the number of sections. That’s a big amount of time. It's just funny to know that dreadlocks don't smell bad.

The cost to get dreadlocks ranges between 2000-2500 pesos, and for repair, around 1500 pesos.

To the two guys, MacJoy and Jay-r, who weren’t hesitant to let me take pictures and video them, thank you. They even prided themselves on becoming so-called instant artistas. : ) MacJoy, an architecture graduate is the owner of a stall along Colon Street (beside Jollibee, 138 Mall) that sells Rasta clothing and accessories, and the sole dreadlock stylist. His cool customer, Jay-r, is a skimboarder from Tanauan, Leyte (the skimboarding capital of the Philippines)

Go check out the video interview in 2 parts by an obvious novice. The clips are in Cebuano (a Philippine dialect), fyi. :)

Part I





Part II



21 comments:

  1. I've often wondered as to how these people wash or clean their hairs, can you just shampoo them or for that matter do they just cover them up whilst they are having their showers ~ questions which i dare not ask them directly, heh heh ...

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    1. Glad you ask. This is a big misconception among people with dreadlocks. While some people do get stinky locks, this is because of poor maintenance, just like any other hair. Contrary to popular belief, dreadlocks need to be washed at least twice a week or however frequent you feel fit. You use a non-residue shampoo, a special shampoo that lacks the common ingredients of normal shampoos that brings them fragrance. You also need to wash your locks for them to actually lock up because the natural oil in your scalp could cause the hair to loosen up and slide.

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  2. I've seriously once thought about having dreadlocks but having to maintain it everyday and live with it for a while discouraged me.

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  3. hi do you have any email of MACJOY because im planning to have dreadlocks. thanks.

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  4. @ziggy1122: Unfortunately, I don't have his email bro. If you're familiar with Colon Street, MacJoy's stall is just beside 138 Mall, formerly Plaza Fair.

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    1. hi, where is that exactly??
      cos i've already tried to find it alot but i couldn't :(

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  5. brah..on going pa mo??..coz nagpa dreads ko extension kaso murag wla man ma klaro..ask ko if mo fix mo or maintenance?..tnks brah!

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  6. bai, visit lang kuno sa may dalan colon, tapad lang sa 138 mall/jollibee. mayntag naa pa ilang business didto. :)

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  7. naa pa ni cla krn bai sa ila pwesto, nahan ko suroy ky ako pa repair ako locks.

    salamat.

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  8. naa pa ni cla krn bai? pa repair unta ko sa akoa locks.

    salamat.

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  9. @Luis: suroy lang didto bai. dugay-dugay na sad ko wala ka suroy didto.

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  10. ayos dah,myta naa pa cla didto ila pwesto, plan naq pa.dreads

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  11. Nya bay...naa pa gihapon ilang shop sa karon? paayo pud ko..

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  12. Bisita lang didto, bai, basin naa pa ila puwesto.

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  13. naa pa ni karon? basin naa moy contact number diha.

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  14. naa bai rent ana ipa extension lng nko bsg 1 month lng kay ako lng etry ...kong naa tag pla pd? tnks. :)

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  15. For the one who ask who they clean it,google it... Mga pre, kinsa maka. Hatag no. Sa ko sa kanang ga dreads plano nko mag pa dreads, willing ko mo anha cebu pra pa dreads lng. Unta naa maka hatag sko og exact address nila ani. Or cell no. Pra ma contact

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  16. Kinsa mka hatag sko ilang exact plan nko mag. Pa dreads, willing ko anha cebu

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  17. For the one who ask who they clean it,google it... Mga pre, kinsa maka. Hatag no. Sa ko sa kanang ga dreads plano nko mag pa dreads, willing ko mo anha cebu pra pa dreads lng. Unta naa maka hatag sko og exact address nila ani. Or cell no. Pra ma contact

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  18. where can i find the hairdresser??
    cos i've been tryna find it but i couldn't :(
    at colon street i've asked around people but they don't know

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  19. Pilay bayad kung magpadreadlock ka,og asa banda sa 138 mall dapit kay magpadread sad ko.

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