By Charlotte Pudlowski from Chicago
- Zariff, Barack Obama’s hairdresser
A few blocks away from Obama’s house, in Chicago, you would think that the second most famous man after the Democrat candidate is John McCain. Well, you would be wrong. That’s the Black senator’s barber.
At 5234 S. Blackstone stands “Hyde Park hair salon”, where Zariff has been cutting Obama’s hair for fifteen years. And now that the presidential candidate is traveling all over the country, journalists have been taking over.
I entered the shop this morning, along with a TV crew working for an African channel, and another one was already waiting to talk to Zariff. When I came back around noon, a journalist from Hong Kong was there, and four journalists from Netherlands were in action. Everybody was looking forward to asking questions about Obama. What conversations did he have with his neighbors? Has his haircut changed in fifteen years ? Has
“I have been in the United States for three weeks”, said Chan Pui Man from Hong Kong’s Apple Daily Limited. “I have traveled to New York, Virginia and now I am in Chicago. I came to this hair salon because I thought it would be a good feature story. I wanted to know what people think about Obama here, about the elections. But I didn’t expect so many journalists.”
Reporter(left) and anchorman from the African channel Go Africa
Journalists came thinking it would be an original idea, and the disappointment was obvious. “We’re even wondering about using the interview”, said Dick Jansen, from the Dutch public radio and television. “Zariff must be the most interviewed barber in the world.”
American cameraman (right) and Dutch reporter, in front of the Hong Kongese one
“Journalists came from Russia, Taiwan, Korea, Portugal, Afghanistan, Germany, South Africa and Brazil explains Ishmael Alamin, the salon’s owner. “This is where he comes, he is still our client, and so people are impressed.”
“It’s good publicity for us”, Ishmael asserts. “I’m glad Barack is such a great guy and so many people gravitate around him. And I love that journalists are coming here, definitely. It makes new clients. They come to make interviews, to have a haircut. And when they come back to town they will keep on coming here. We also have new local clients, people who want the Obama cut.”
Ishmael Alamin, the shop owner, doing a client
The haircut remains at 21$. But Zariff also gets a tip anytime he gives an interview. All the crews passing by slide a few bills in his box. 20$ seems an average price.
The economic benefit shall definitely rise on Tuesday: a party is organized for the election night. “You are exclusively invited to Hyde Park Hair Salon’s Intimate election-day celebration”, says the invitation. The exclusive invitation will cost you 75$. But for this price, you get to see famous people “Media & celebrity guests will be present,” mentions the flyer.
The question is whether this frenzy will last after the election. “We have spoken about it answers Zariff. If he signs for eight years, I will do the same. I love Chicago, but I will go often to DC“.
