Q&A: Christiano Bermudez discusses his big dreams and even bigger hair
Detroit freshman Christiano Bermudez poses for a photo Sept. 9 in Moore Hall. (Rose Bauman | Photo Editor)
Among the marching band members with their white baseball caps, Christiano Bermudez stands tall, partially due to his Afro.
The Detroit freshman was told that he didn’t have to wear the white baseball cap that they wear in the stands, as long as he was still able to wear the marching band helmet for halftime.
Bermudez started band in middle school and played the trumpet. Once he got to high school, he wanted to play the alto saxophone, but they handed him a clarinet and taught him one note. He taught himself the rest from a finger chart and by ear.
He plays the clarinet in the Central Michigan University Marching band and is also in the symphonic band, with dreams of being in the symphonic wind ensemble.
In addition to being in band, Bermudez is a pre-med major with a neuroscience concentration and a music minor.
Central Michigan Life sat down with Bermudez on Sept. 6 to discuss his hair care routine, the best and worst parts about having his Afro and him not having to wear the baseball cap.
Have you ever been told that you have awesome hair?
Yes, plenty of times people have told me. I don’t know if it is an everyday thing because I try to count, but then I lose count. People will walk up to me and be like “that’s an awesome 'fro” or “I haven’t seen that since the 19-whatevers” and I’m like, "thanks." Someone at Walmart yesterday actually tried touching it. She was checking my receipt and goes, “You have amazing hair, sweetie. Can I touch it?” and I was like “No, I don’t let anyone touch it.” Then she asked if it was real and I was like “Yes, it’s 100 percent real.”
How long have you been growing your hair?
I’ve been growing my hair for about four or five years. Basically, since before my freshman year of high school. As a kid it was kind of forcefully cut because it wasn’t very masculine for men to have long hair. Once I swayed away from all that, I just wanted to be myself. I’ve always had long hair ever since I was really young, I had a ponytail. I have really long hair, so I just let it be and I just did my own thing.
What was your inspiration?
Nothing. This is kind of my style. I haven’t really taken it from anyone, it’s just how I have. I know other people have wanted to build their inspiration off of me because people are always like “I wish I had your hair” and “I wish I could get my hair like yours.” So, my inspiration I guess is just me, I just kind of do my own thing with it.
As a member of the marching band, were you afraid you would have to wear the hat?
I’ve been marching for four years, so having to wear the hat (helmet) was nothing, but the cap (baseball cap) was kind of a little bit of pressure. I remember this one girl was talking to me and was like, “What are you going to do about your hair?” and then it just kept spreading around. Even someone in my dorm was like, “Are they going to make you cut your hair? Cause I’ve heard that has been going around.” Under no circumstance would I do that. My band director was actually really respectful about it and really cool with it. He basically said “it’s your hair, I’m going to change it or anything” because as I long as I could wear the actual helmet it was no big deal. The pressure that was put upon me from that was like woah because it was just swarming. I wasn’t too worried, but at the same time I said if it actually became a problem where it was forced onto me, where I had to wear the cap and I couldn’t march, I probably wouldn’t march. There are things that are worth it and things that are not worth it, I think my hair and myself as a person, is more important. Even though I’ve been marching for years, I still think it is important for me to be myself and stay myself.
What is the best part of your hair style?
The best part? I love my hair, like I really do. I don’t do anything special to it, well I mean I do a lot of things special to it, but it’s me. I’m not copying off of anyone. I guess the best part of my hair is that it has its own personality. There is just so much with it. It’s a nice pillow sometimes. I’m glad I can just be myself and still receive compliments with it, even though I don’t ask for them.
What’s the worst part about your hair?
The process of doing it. Every Sunday, I go through a three-hour process of doing my hair. It’s a lot. My roommates respect it too. Every Sunday they know and are like, “Christiano has to do his hair. Let’s not go in there for a while because he is going to be busy.” Just the process of doing my hair constantly becomes a pain sometimes. Sometimes there are tears. I’ll pull like a baby hair and you’ll see a man tear drop down. It’s awful. And attire is an issue sometimes, like I can’t wear a hood.
What is your process?
I wash it, you know shampoo, conditioner. What really takes the longest though, is combing because there is so much hair. I rinse it again after combing it out, then add anything else I want to. I usually don’t add anything else besides probably like a leave-in. Every day in the morning I moisturize it with some sort of coconut hibiscus oil or something. Keeping it moisturized is the main thing because I really don’t like my hair being dry and I like it smelling good.
What type of shampoo do you use?
That’s a secret. I either use a bunch of various things or one thing. I’m actually like a hair connoisseur, surprisingly. I know what shampoos will work best, like I can use this, and I can’t use this. All of my roommates are like “I just use head and shoulders, like I don’t what that is” because they’ve seen it.
What are your feelings about bed head?
Oh, I hate it. My bedhead is like different from everyone else’s. I sleep with satin pillow cases because if I were to sleep with cotton my hair would be way more tangled. When I get bed head I’m upset. I’m a back sleeper, so everything is compressed. When I sleep, my hair is like a lion’s mane, it covers most of my face. My bedhead is usually, like one part in the back is really flat so I’ll have to readjust and moisturize it.
How many inches does your Afro add to your height?
I joke about this all the time. I’m actually like 5’7” or 5’8”, but I tell people I’m like 12’7” with my hair. I think I’m probably like 6 foot or 5’11” with my hair.
