Cape Town - "Today is my last day working on fezzes. I just don't have the strength anymore. But, who will take over from me?"
This was the question weighing heavy on the mind of 76-year-old Gosain Samsodien, Cape Town's last traditional fez maker.
From his home-factory in Kensington where he has been lovingly making fezzes for Capetonians over the past 25 years, the artisan tells us how he got into fez making.
"“I was first in the building trade in Johannesburg for about 30 years before coming to Cape Town to make fezzes – a trade I learnt from my late brother Rashaad who was a master fez maker in Johannesburg.
“He encouraged me to get into the fez trade because at that time there was no one in Cape Town making them anymore. That is how I started.”
Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Sheik Abduragiem Tape Jassiem from the Bo-Kaap, Cape Town's last known fez maker is now in his seventies. Gosain is one of only a handful of artisans worldwide that keeps this 600-year-old tradition alive.
He is worried that artisanal trades like fez-making are increasingly under threat because of modernisation and the tendency for cheaper mass produced factory products instead of customary made items fashioned by traditional artisans.
“My biggest worry is that traditional fez-making will die out. I am 76-years-old and ready to call it a day, but who will take over from me and make our beloved fezzes the traditional way? Nobody is interested, not even my own children.
“Maybe one of my grandchildren, I hope, will continue the trade because Cape Town Muslims love their fezzes, especially the half ones which are shorter.
“I have made thousands of them over the years, mostly red but also in black and nowadays also other colours. The red ones are the most popular and are worn almost exclusively by the Malay choirs, irrespective of the colour of the suits they are wearing when they perform,” he said.
But, what is a fez, also called a tarboosh, and why is it still so popular today?
“A fez is a soft cone-shaped brimless hat. It is made of molded felt and is usually red with a black tassel on the top, especially when the wearer has fulfilled his Hajj obligations. Muslims normally wear it at prayer times in mosques, weddings and also in homes as a sign of respect when sitting at a dinner table or being in the company of the elderly.
“The fez is also very popular with children at madrassas and Islamic schools,” Gosain said.
