La Sape can be traced back to the period of colonialism in Africa, particularly in the cities of
Brazzaville and
Kinshasa. was an important supporter of La Sape in Congo. The houseboys used their connections in France to acquire their clothing. According to Gondola, Camille Diata frontlined the sape movement in Brazzaville in the 1930s, and had a deep influence in France. He was also part of L'Amicale, "a loosely organized anti-colonial movement," formed in France in 1926 by the imaginative Congolese revolutionary
André Matsoua. The organization mainly helped Africans new to Paris get settled in the city because they were not welcomed well by the French, facing imprisonment and deportation. By the time of Matsoua's death in 1942, his political developments gained prominence in the Congo and were "hijacked" by the Congolese intellectual elite. They adapted the fashion sense and his anti-colonial views. This movement became a distinctly ethnic
Bakongo and
Balari one characterized by potent political symbolism and ideology that would manifest in postcolonial era. The 1950s gave rise to the cosmopolitan, bringing prominence to the music scene. Nightclubs and beer halls hosted the music and young urbanites of the Congolese townships of Kinshasa and Brazzaville. During the postcolonial years, the unique dynamics of La Sape coalesced in 1960 when both Congos were granted independence. Economic chaos ensued and many were left jobless. This caused numerous Congolese people to move abroad to western cities like
London and
Paris. Since they were also not very welcome, La Sape acted as refuge for them to cope with European life.
Papa Wemba, a Congolese musician, is credited with reviving la sape in Kinshasa during the 1970s by emphasizing the importance of smartly dressed Congolese men. ==See also==