Mopacho

Mopacho is a Congolese dance that emerged in Brazzaville in 1990, created by Sixte Singha, a native of Ouenzé, the city's 5th arrondissement. 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". 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. Its mainstream breakthrough surfaced in 2022 with DJ Afara Tsena Fukuchima's hit "Afro Mbokalisation", which propelled the dance to continental attention 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.

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. 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. The head moves fluidly from side to side, integrating the upper and lower body into a single, continuous motion.

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. In April 2022, the release of "Give Freedom" by Tidiane Mario sustained mopacho's momentum, The track fused elements of ndombolo, notably its sébène guitar-driven section, with coupé-décalé, characterized by piano and guitar riffs. 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. 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. Prominent African artists, including Fally Ipupa, Serge Beynaud, DJ Kedjevara, and Gaz Mawete, soon integrated mopacho into their music videos.

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. 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. 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.