I never knew what an important mark capolanas are in the Mozambican cultural. A capolana is a cotton cloth about 2 meters by 1 meter and is as common as salt in every Mozambican household today. 
Capolanas have been in Mozambique since the establishment of the Arab/Indian trade routes in the 19th century. It was received from Indian traders as a means of trade for other goods. The cloth replaced the traditionally-used animal skins, common early designs included suns, leopards, lions, and other geometric designs. Today these designs include large printed motifs and bright bold colors, and I have seen many with the face of Mozambique’s President Nyusi.
The brightly colored modern capolanas strike every corner of my villa. They are used in a variety of ways - they represent kinship, social class, and even a gift to name a few I have learned so far.
As a garment for woman the wardrobe from everyday casual-wear for shopping, to household cleaning wraps, or even careful tailored for special events. Many women wrap the matching fabric into a beautiful tunic on her head to complete the outfit. Men and children are also seen wearing fabrics as shirts or dresses. They are also tailored for groups representing themselves as a unit; examples are church choirs or families at a wedding party.
Preparing to come here I was under the impression that these sarongs were just used for clothing, arriving here I have learned differently.
It is not just clothing here, it is a practical tool used in a variety of ways with cultural tradition. Capolanas are often offered as gifts to women, it’s the design that expresses the gratitude from the giver. It has a practical function as well, old capolanas are used carrying heavy loads, or wrapping collected sticks together. They are used in initiation rituals, to carry babies; to cover the deceased, to decorate the house, and in a past generation in the North, it was used by women depending how it was laid out on the bed, as a non-verbal consult between married couples to have intercourse.
I never knew a simple rectangular piece of fabric could be so integrally worn into a cultural for over two centuries until I came to Mozambique.
The capolana is also used in different countries; Kenya, West Africa, Congo, and Senegal, as well as Brazil.
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