BY Marcella Echavarria | July 12, 2010

 
It was a great surprise to find Aboubakar Fofana from Mali for the first time at the market this year.  He brought many shades and textures of indigo made with organic and wild cotton.  A favorite piece is the Dissa made by the cultural group Sononké, masters of indigo dye in West Africa. This oversized scarf with long fringes is traditional from Mali and it is hand spun and dyed by the mother when her son is born, then it is presented at his wedding and he is wrapped on it when he departs this world.  The Dissa is a piece of high value exchangable against several cows.
Why does he love indigo?
"It is a celestial color full of spiritual meanings. Lomassa is the deepest shade achieved by the Soninké masters, a cultural group I belong to. My mission and my passion for the last 25 years is to revive the indigo tradition and to tell the world all the wonderful properties of this dye: antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, pure, natural, organic, handmade and full of cultural and spiritual meanings."