About Us
Who We Are
Abeng Apparel is unique clothing line inspired by the cultural unity of the Afrikan diaspora. We see fashion as beautiful tool of reconnection and cultural affirmation.
We are launching with a unique lines of Tees that celebrates this ethos. Our designs always have meaning. Drawing on the distinctive expressions of the global Afrikan experience, we aim to carry our rich heritage in to a prosperous future.
OUR NAME
Abeng is the the horn used by the Yankunkunu or so-called Maroons in the Americas. There are many maroon communities through out the Caribbean, North, South & Central America. These are Afrikans who during the enslavement period, fled to the hills & mountains and lived freely. From there, they not only fought against slavery, became the strong hold of Afrikan Spiritual & Cultural retention. It is this ethos of preserving the culture of the Afrikan Diaspora that inspired the use of the name Abeng.
The Abeng is a horn. With the Abeng, one maroon community could send complex messages to another maroon community. Within an individual Maroon community, the Abeng was also used to gather the people for council, celebration, ceremonies and even war.
The word “Abeng” derives from the word Abɛn. Abɛn is a word from the Akan language of Twi, spoken by the Asante and other nations of west Afrika. It simply means “Horn”. So Abɛn & Abeng are words that in themselves represent the cultural continuity and resilience of the Afrikan Diaspora.
Another related word in “Akoben”, a symbol of the Adinkra System which means “war horn”. The war horn symbolises of vigilance and wariness. Akoben is a horn used to sound a battle cry.