festives : dance africa dance festives.org

Togo
This is an initiatic dance from South Togo.

Adjifo is danced by young girls of marriageable age to prove their virginity and to get ready to fight evildoer spirits.
see www.youtube.com ... Read next

Afrobeat

Nigeria Fela Anikulapo Kuti begins his musical carieer with the High-life style. Young Fela Kuti became then a panafricanist activist and evolved to a new genre, with less jazzy and more african rythms : Afro... Read next

Ahidous

Morocco How to dance Ahidous Traditional berber dances of Morocco. Men and women stand on a row, tight, shoulder to shoulder, all doing the same movements at the same time to the rhythm of tambourine a... Read next

Ahwash

Morocco How to dance Ahwash Traditional collective berber dances performed in high-Atlas or Anti-Atlas villages (south Morocco) during weddings or other celebrations. Generally there are 2 or 4 count ... Read next

Allaoui

Algeria How to dance Allaoui Traditional war dance of Algeria.

Men standing neck and neck, as welded the ones with the others by stressing their bodies, striking feet. Allaoui is danced with a rifle or ... Read next

Assiko

Cameroon Assiko is a joy dance and also a healing dance from the Bassa and Beti communities.

Assiko is a very fast dance, with hip ondulations and twistings combined to all kinds of acrobatics, like wearing a ... Read next

Bikutsi

Cameroon Bikutsi is a traditionnal dance of the Beti community of centre and south Cameroon. In Ewondo language Bikutsi means "beat the ground".

Traditionaly it was a women's dance but it is nowadays danced ... Read next

Congolese Rumba

Democratic Republic of Congo Congo-Brazzaville Congolese Rumba is the real cultural treasure of Congo !
Some names to remember : Franco, Tabu Ley, Papa Wemba, Koffi Olomide, Mbilia Bel, Ferre Gola
Some titles to know :independance Ch... Read next

Coupé-Décalé

Ivory Coast Dance and urban musical movement born during the 2000's in the Paris nightclubs of the ivorian diaspora.

It became a real social phenomenon in Ivory Coast. Coupé-décalé is now the most danced music in ... Read next

Egun Orisha

Benin Nigeria Togo
Mask Dance of the Yoruba, this dance is performed 40 days after the passing away during the ceremony of the reincarnation of the spirit of a deceased person, or during funerals of followers.

Gbekon

Ghana Togo
It's a traditional dance performed all year long during festivals, religious celebrations and other ceremonies.

High-life

Ghana Nigeria Style musical and urban dance born in Ghana in the early 20th century. High-life name insinuates this music was played and appreciated in open air night-clubs of the high-society.

High-life uses rhythm... Read next

Kizomba

Angola Portugal How to dance Kizomba Angolan dance of the 80's, Kizomba is a simplified version of Semba that spread on lusophone countries and then extended to the rest of Europe.

Also named African Tango, K... Read next

Kuduro

Angola How to dance Kuduro This dance developped in Angola on 1996 can be danced in a line with a madison like choreo. Kuduro means hard buttocks in portugese.

Tony Amado created this dance after watc... Read next

Makossa

Cameroon le Makossa is a musical style born in Douala, Cameroon, enriched with several influences (congolese Rumba, Merengue from Dominican Rep, High-life from Nigeria and Ghana). Makossa was popularised out of... Read next

Mapouka

Ivory Coast Traditional dance of Ivory-Coast that was forbidden at the ivorian TV because of its "indecency".

In despite of the prohibition Mapouka's success grew so much that each week there is competitions and... Read next

Mbaya

Cameroon This fisher's dance of the coast is performed to thank the Spirits of Water. Mbaya is an energetic and provocative girl/boy dance that reflects the noise of the waves.

Naija

Nigeria Totori

Ndombolo

Congo-Brazzaville Democratic Republic of Congo This congolese dance is Mapouka's great rival. Ndombolo is derived from Congolese Rumba and Soukous. Censorship for "indecency" made it even more popular ! Ndombolo is danced on fast rythms with a circular move of the hips.
Musics to dance ndombolo : Kofi Olomide, JB M'Piana, Extra Musica, Wenge Musica
Demo (and explanations) see www.youtube.com

Pinguiss

Cameroon
Pinguis Dance is born in Douala on 2010. It's creator, Daniel Baka'a sings and dance with his group. video see www.youtube.com

Sakpata

Benin Ghana Togo This vaudou dance is performed during supplication ceremonies to thank the God of the Earth and keep epidemic diseases away.
see www.youtube.com

Shaku shaku

Nigeria This dance born in Lagos, is executed by football stars to celebrate a goal, etc
Learn shaku shaku with MHD : see www.youtube.com and here is a tuto for 5 Nigerian dances : S... Read next

Soukous

Congo-Brazzaville Democratic Republic of Congo Soukouss is a musical style dérived from congolese rumba. Soukous inflenced lots of urban musics like makossa.

Known in Colombia and the Caraïbes as champeta africana
Musics pour dance souko... Read next

Tchebe

Benin Togo
Dance executed on raffia stilts of 3 to 6 meters high (spirits of the giant forest).
see www.youtube.com

Zoblazo

Ivory Coast Dance of white tissues from Meiway (singer and musician), inspired by folkloric rythms of appolos ethny of the south of Ivory-Coast. see www.youtube.com and here is another video showing many ivorian dances see www.youtube.com