Limited Edition

Queen NZINGA, Ngola(Ruler) of Ndongo and Matamba(Present day Angola, South Central Afrika)

Born 1583 - Transitioned December 17, 1663

Queen Nzinga's spirit is in all of us who choose to fight against the systems, institutions, and empires which enslave and oppress our people. During her reign, Nzinga led her armies into battle at the Dutch and the Portugese who had begun enslaving Afrikan peoples on the coasts and interiors of her nation.

She fought fiercely and protected her people--us-- as many of them as she could, for over 60 years.
Wear this sweater with honor.

This is a portrait of the great Nzinga, in BaKala style, by D Verrtah.

Learn More below:

The Name:

HEPICAT (Pronounced Hep - E - Cat)

Meaning: "One who stays woke, one who is aware, one who is conscious."
Hepicat is said to be the Root-Word of Hep, Hip, Hipster, Hip-Hop. The word comes to Blacks in the Americas from the Wolof People who live in Senegal and The Gambia.

Know. Learn. Do.
Transform. Teach. Wake Us Up.

The Glyphs

These glyphs are called KiKala. KiKala is an emerging visual language from the African Diaspora.
KiKala is a visual language which expresses the stories, philosophies, and wisdom of African people in the Americas as glyphs. The project is being initiated by D. Verrtah of New Orleans.

The name KiKala was inspired by the research and work of Mujilu Mukatapa (aka Asar Imhotep) who initiated the African American Cultural Development Project. In 2009, Mujilu's research into African Languages , Spirituality, and Linguistics led him to propose the name BaKala/NKala as a meaningful name for Black/African American people in North America whose ancestors were enslaved in this land.

The name BaKala means "The People who are Living Suns of Vitality." We call ourselves BaKala/Nkala because names should describe the destinies we come to earth to fulfill, because the name describes Blackness from a Black African perspective, and because the energy and movements of Black people have power and nourish the world. The name KiKala means, The Language and Philosophy of African Americans--the BaKala.

The Concept:

"The Hepicat & the KiKALA project began the day I decided that I wanted to know where in Africa my family came from. After years of searching, I still couldn't find the answer I wanted--nothing that would take my family tree beyond Louisiana. Then I began asking myself: what if this is a blessing and not a curse? I began seeing New Orleans as part of Africa, and that Black people here in the Americas represented the seed of a new African people--a new branch of the Great Family. Instead of dreaming for roots, I decided to build on what I knew to create the roots of a new future and a new culture."

The goal of Verrtah's work, as a participant in the African American Cultural Development Project, is to participate in an Africana cultural rebirth in the Americas. His goal is to inspire Black people to defy the violence of the Transatlantic Slave Trade by recognizing that Black Culture is unique branch of African Culture-- we should keep expanding, growing, and conceiving fresh perspectives on what we've created.

http://wehepicat.tumblr.com/