{{Short description|Congolese dance created in Brazzaville}} {{Multiple image | image1 = Roga Roga at the Zénith Paris (1 February 2025).jpg | image2 = Fally Ipupa a Paris, en France.jpg | image3 = Serge Beynaud 02.jpg | image4 = DJ Kedjevara.jpg | total_width = 390 | footer = While the dance rose to widespread continental and international popularity through DJ Afara Tsena Fukuchima, it was also popularized by Roga Roga (left), Fally Ipupa (center left), Serge Beynaud (center right), and DJ Kedjevara (right). | footer_align = center }}
'''Mopacho''' is a Congolese dance that emerged in Brazzaville in 1990, created by Sixte Singha, a native of Ouenzé, the city's 5th arrondissement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martial |first=Loïcia |date=8 January 2023 |title=Le Congo-Brazzaville désigne le premier de ses danseurs de "mopacho" |trans-title=Congo-Brazzaville names its first "mopacho" dancer |url=https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20230108-le-congo-brazzaville-d%C3%A9signe-le-premier-de-ses-danseurs-de-mopacho |access-date=5 October 2025 |website=Rfi.fr/fr |publisher=Radio France Internationale |language=fr |publication-place=Paris, France}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Mossipy |first=Loick Mfumu Loubassa |date=9 March 2023 |title=Musique: Créée par un Congolais, la danse mopacho fait désormais parler d'elle |trans-title=Music: Created by a Congolese artist, the mopacho dance is now making headlines |url=https://www.lhorizonafricain.com/musique-creee-par-un-congolais-la-danse-mopacho-fait-desormais-parler-delle/ |access-date=6 October 2025 |website=lhorizonafricain |language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chika |first=Chimezie |date=7 December 2024 |title=What Music and Dance Trended in Francophone Africa in 2024? |url=https://afrocritik.com/music-and-dance-trends-francophone-africa-2024/ |access-date=1 November 2025 |website=Afrocritik |language=en}}</ref> According to Agence d'Information d'Afrique Centrale, mopacho is "performed with full-body movements from head to toe. However, it varies in gesture from one department to another, with dancers influenced by the dance steps of their respective regions".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=10 January 2023 |title=Mopacho |url=https://www.adiac-congo.com/content/mopacho-144632#:~:text=La%20danse%20Mopacho%20est%20n%C3%A9e,d'autres%20comme%20les%20pr%C3%A9c%C3%A9dentes |access-date=6 October 2025 |website=Adiac-congo.com |publisher=Agence d'Information d'Afrique Centrale |language=fr |publication-place=Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo}}</ref> The dance gained widespread popularity in the early 2020s among the youths on both sides of the Congo River, particularly in Brazzaville and Kinshasa, through social media platforms such as TikTok, where viral challenges turned it into a youth culture.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=5 January 2023 |title="Mopacho", une danse qui traverse les frontières |trans-title="Mopacho", a dance that crosses borders |url=https://mbote.cd/buzz/mopacho-une-danse-qui-traverse-les-frontieres/124812/ |access-date=6 October 2025 |website=Mbote |language=fr-FR |publication-place=Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo}}</ref> Its mainstream breakthrough surfaced in 2022 with DJ Afara Tsena Fukuchima's hit "Afro Mbokalisation", which propelled the dance to continental attention<ref name=":0" /> and was later embraced by several prominent musicians, including Fally Ipupa, DJ Kedjevara, Gaz Mawete, and Serge Beynaud, who incorporated its movements into their music videos.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">Ouédraogo, Ousseni. "Le réseau social Tik Tok et la promotion de la culture africaine: cas de la danse mopacho du Congo". ''Ntela: Revue du Centre Universitaire de Recherche sur l'Afrique (CURA)'', vol. 2, no. 5, Jan.–June 2023, pp. 169–188. Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville. {{ISSN|2789-3588}}.</ref>
== Description == Mopacho dance engages every part of the body, from the head, neck, upper and lower limbs, torso, shoulders, back, hips, and pelvis. Performers typically synchronize their movements with the rhythm of Congolese instrumental music, though Ivorian tunes are occasionally used, and this versatility allows mopacho to adapt to virtually any musical beat.<ref name=":3" /> The choreography begins with alternating foot movements, advancing and retreating in time with the music. As the rhythm intensifies, the performer raises the shoulders, crosses the arms in an "X" formation, and keeps the hands open while executing gentle hip rotations and a gradual lowering of the pelvis.<ref name=":3" /> The head moves fluidly from side to side, integrating the upper and lower body into a single, continuous motion.<ref name=":3" />
Originally conceived by Sixte Singha as a personal dance style, mopacho evolved during the early 2020s into a collective expression of Congolese urban creativity. Linguistically, the term ''mopacho'' is tripartite, composed of '''''mo / pa / cho''''', derived from the lexemes '''''mo''''' (me), '''''pa''''' (step), and '''''cho''''' (show).<ref name=":3" /> Together, they form ''mopacho'' or ''mopashow'', literally meaning "to be in control of one's steps to perform or to express oneself". Each component carries a specific meaning:<ref name=":3" />
* '''''mo''''': Refers to the personal pronoun ''me'' or the demonstrative ''my'', with this personalization engaging the dancer's identity and responsibility in performance.<ref name=":3" /> * '''''pa''''': Denotes the small back-and-forth ''steps'' made with the lower limbs, which combine with the rest of the body to produce aesthetic harmony.<ref name=":3" /> * '''''cho''''': Implies the act of performing, putting on a show, and capturing the audience's attention through dance, while also representing the artistic spectacle created by the successful coordination of all body parts.<ref name=":3" />
== History == {{Multiple image | total_width = 220 | image1 = La mosquée en allant Ouenzé.jpg | caption1 = Ouenzé, the arrondissement where Mopacho originated. | caption_align = center }} The mopacho dance originated in 1990 in Ouenzé, the fifth arrondissement of Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, and was created by Sixte Singha, also known by his other stage name Zgala Mboyo.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /> Mopacho drew inspiration from the traditional dances of the Mbochi people, an ethnic group inhabiting Boundji in the northern Cuvette Department.<ref name=":3" /> In an interview broadcast on 7 January 2023, Singha explained that his motivation for creating mopacho was to offer "a dance for people who didn't know how to dance well". Over time, he founded the troupe Mopacho de Mopacho Mocho, which began performing regularly at festivals, cultural events, and ceremonies in Brazzaville.<ref name=":3" /> By the 2010s, mopacho had become a recognizable feature of youth culture in Ouenzé and neighboring arrondissements, where young people performed it to Congolese and Ivorian rhythms in ''nganda'' (bars), nightclubs, and even during funeral vigils.<ref name=":3"/>
It experienced a moderate resurgence in 2021, expanding across all nine of Brazzaville's arrondissements, closely linked to the release of "Bokoko" by Roga Roga and Extra Musica on 24 September 2021, a track from their eponymous extended play (EP).<ref name=":3"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dimi |first=Cisse |date=3 March 2022 |title=Musique : Roga-Roga au podium du festival Yakro yofe |trans-title=Music: Roga-Roga on the podium of the Yakro yofe festival |url=https://www.adiac-congo.com/content/musique-roga-roga-au-podium-du-festival-yakro-yofe-135552 |access-date=25 May 2024 |website=Adiac-congo.com |language=fr |publication-place=Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Okokana |first=Bruno |date=28 June 2022 |title=Musique : Roga-Roga et Extra Musica se produiront à Paris |trans-title=Music: Roga-Roga and Extra Musica will perform in Paris |url=https://www.adiac-congo.com/content/musique-roga-roga-et-extra-musica-se-produiront-paris-139088 |access-date=25 May 2024 |website=Adiac-congo.com |language=fr |publication-place=Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo}}</ref> In April 2022, the release of "Give Freedom" by Tidiane Mario sustained mopacho's momentum,<ref name=":3" /> and later that year, in December 2022, DJ Afara Tsena Fukuchima's hit "Afro Mbokalisation" propelled the dance to international recognition.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=13 February 2023 |title=3 millions de vues YouTube pour "Afro Mbokalisation" d'Afara Tsena |trans-title=3 million YouTube views for "Afro Mbokalisation" by Afara Tsena |url=https://mbote.cd/buzz/3-millions-de-vues-youtube-pour-afro-mbokalisation-dafara-tsena/127150/ |access-date=25 May 2024 |website=Mbote.cd |language=fr-FR |publication-place=Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo}}</ref> The track fused elements of ndombolo, notably its sébène guitar-driven section, with coupé-décalé, characterized by piano and guitar riffs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 February 2023 |title="Afro Mbokalisation", cette chanson qui cartonne au Congo-Brazzaville |trans-title="Afro Mbokalisation", this song which is a hit in Congo-Brazzaville |url=https://mbote.cd/buzz/afro-mbokalisation-cette-chanson-qui-cartonne-au-congo-brazzaville/126565/ |access-date=25 May 2024 |website=Mbote.cd |language=fr-FR |publication-place=Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dimi |first=Cisse |date=7 September 2023 |title=Jayli Awards : Afara Tsena et Extra Musica Nouvel Horizon en lice |trans-title=Jayli Awards: Afara Tsena and Extra Musica Nouvel Horizon in the running |url=https://www.adiac-congo.com/content/jayli-awards-afara-tsena-et-extra-musica-nouvel-horizon-en-lice-151251 |access-date=25 May 2024 |website=www.adiac-congo.com |language=fr |publication-place=Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dimi |first=Cisse |date=10 November 2023 |title=Primud 2023 : Afara Tsena et Extra Musica Nouvel Horizon en lice |trans-title=Primud 2023: Afara Tsena and Extra Musica Nouvel Horizon in the running |url=https://www.adiac-congo.com/content/primud-2023-afara-tsena-et-extra-musica-nouvel-horizon-en-lice-152822 |access-date=25 May 2024 |website=Adiac-congo.com |language=fr |publication-place=Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo}}</ref> Within a month, "Afro Mbokalisation" amassed over three million views online and inspired the "Mopacho Challenge" on TikTok, where users across the globe recreated the dance and showcased its intricate coordination and physical expressiveness.<ref name=":4" /> Through thousands of online videos, the dance came to symbolize what many described as a "sculpture in motion" (''sculpture en mouvement''), and this digital exposure boosted its global diffusion across Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia.<ref name=":3" /> Prominent African artists, including Fally Ipupa, Serge Beynaud, DJ Kedjevara, and Gaz Mawete, soon integrated mopacho into their music videos.<ref name=":3" />
== National recognition and competition == In response to its growing global reach and "to reaffirm its Congolese origin", the Ministry of Cultural Industry, Tourism, Arts and Leisure of the Republic of the Congo organized a national dance competition titled "Mopacho Challenge National". The event took place in Brazzaville from 28 December 2022 to 7 January 2023, and brought together participants from across the country.<ref name=":3" /> It encompassed all twelve departments of the Republic of the Congo, with each department selecting a finalist to represent it in the national finals held in Brazzaville.<ref name=":3" /> During the event, the twelve competitors showcased their choreographic interpretation and technical "mastery of the mopacho" dance before an audience and a distinguished panel of judges composed of Olivier Brumou and Sixte Singha.<ref name=":3" />
At the closing of the competition, the top three performers were awarded prizes for excellence, with first place going to Rechy Edoualiko Ngassaï, known as Ateka Molimo, a 22-year-old from the Cuvette Department, who received 800,000 CFA francs (approximately €1,200).<ref name=":3" /> Second place was awarded to Wizy Okemba of Brazzaville, who earned 600,000 CFA francs (about €1,000), while third place went to Lurda Mienanzambi from Pointe-Noire, with a prize of 500,000 CFA francs (around €850).<ref name=":3" /> A special encouragement award of 1,000,000 CFA francs was distributed among the remaining nine contestants.<ref name=":3" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:African dances Category:Culture in Brazzaville Category:1990 establishments in the Republic of the Congo Category:Entertainment in the Republic of the Congo