“I was afraid my cloth will fall leaving me in my boxers”- Idris Elba on wearing Kante for the first time
Idris Elba, a British actor with Ghanaian ancestry, has described his encounter with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, at this year’s Akwasidae.
During a trip to Ghana in February to film a documentary, Elba is rumored to have had a meeting with the Asante king.
He was photographed looking almost as majestic as the monarch while donning an exquisite kente robe.
During an appearance on the US talk show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Elba addressed the images.
He claimed that he had no idea he needed to wear kente clothing in order to meet the Otumfuo.
He claimed that after showing up in his pants, kente was given to him.
He also admitted that he was petrified to death that his kente fabric might rip, leaving him in front of the monarch in nothing but boxer shorts!
“So when you meet the king, typically what you have to drop the kente cloth shoulder down a little bit and then shake the King’s hand. It’s part of the tradition like a symbol of respect.
“This is the first time I’m wearing it and underneath, you just got your shorts on. And my thing kept unravelling. I was like, ‘oh, man, I’m going to meet the king, and it’s going to fall off me and be standing there in my boxers’.”
Watch the video below.
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