Curly & Boujee… A runaway success!
Vincenzo poses with stylists after the Master Class
Vincenzo poses with stylists after the Master Class

WHEN, last year, Tamika Henry and Denisha Victor launched Curlfest Guyana, it was to provide a space for the natural hair community to congregate and learn about their hair, while also providing Guyana with a different type of entertainment.
So, last weekend when Curlfest Guyana hosted an intense four-day natural-hair event featuring the services of US curly hair expert, Vincent Lauretta, aka “Vincenzo, The Curl King”, it was no surprise that the event once again surpassed expectations, garnering support from naturalistas from all across the country.

Tamika Henry at Curly and Boujee

The weekend opened with ‘Curly and Boujee’, which served as an introduction to Vincenzo, who answered questions from a curious audience about some issues surrounding curly hair and other useful bits of information about kinky hair textures. The crowd was also treated to a demonstration of Vincenzo’s skill as he trimmed and styled the hair of three models throughout the show. The entire show was punctuated with various cultural performances, and also featured giveaways as well as natural-hair product displays from various retailers.

CUT, COLOUR AND CARE
The following day, Vincenzo met with pre-booked clients at Kavita’s Signature Cuts & Spa, at the City Mall to treat and style their hair. followed by a Master Class for businesses and individuals to teach techniques on how to cut, colour and care for natural hair.
Curlfest Guyana Coordinator, Tamika Henry, said that the entire weekend went well, especially since stylists were able to learn new techniques with regard to colouring and cutting natural hair. “It’s not that they didn’t know from before, but they have received a new set of skills to improve their repertoire,” she said.
Tamika added that many persons have since approached her to ask about salons where they can treat their natural hair, and she has referred them to some of the salons that participated in the Master Class.
“One of the things we are proud of is the fact we were able to have an exchange of ideas in the Master Class. It wasn’t just Vincenzo lecturing to all the other stylists; there was a meaningful exchange, and a commitment to helping each other to grow,” she said.
“And I thought it was useful because, even though those businesses compete, they still got together for this purpose.”
Tamika said that she is also pleased to see the success of Curlfest Guyana as a business, since they are still relatively new. “For us to have successfully hired an international act our second time around speaks volumes about the importance of the movement. So that is something my team and I are certainly proud of,” she said.
VERY SUPPORTIVE
She’s eternally grateful for the support of the business community, as this shows their confidence in Curlfest Guyana. “We can never be too confident or too empowered or too sure of who we are, because every day we have a different challenge to deal with,” she said, adding:

Vincenzo during a demonstration at Curly and Boujee

“So, we plan on continuing those events until we can reach more people and help more people to feel more confident.
“So, every time we do an event that promotes curly hair, as long as we reach one woman and help her, we are happy.
“So I think we have achieved that this weekend, and look forward to doing even more of it.”
In spite of their success, however, Curly & Boujee and its accompanying weekend of events did attract some opposition from a small section of the natural-hair community who feel that tutorials on black hair should be taught by persons of African descent for authenticity.
This view of the need for cultural appropriation has been shared on social media by some persons who attended the event, who feel that having someone of another race “teach” black women about how to handle their hair –Vincenzo is an Italian-American — is not right.
But this is not the first, nor will it be the last time that ‘The Curl King’ receives such opposition.
In response, however, Curlfest Guyana is focused on encouraging diversity, and having all persons of all races appreciate each other. They also believe that Vincenzo, who is professionally trained in curly hair textures, has genuine appreciation for curly hair.

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