A new dance style called ‘Mapangale’ has been trending across social media.
As many Kenyans embrace the new dance move, there are some who find it rather disturbing due to its violent gestures.
It involves two dancers facing each other, moving and swaying while gradually lowering their bodies. They use their arms to imitate the actions of cutting their partner with a panga.
Anyone may perform the dance on their own; all you have to do is follow the up-and-down movements while feigning to slash oneself from the neck all the way down to the shoulders and around the arms.
Over the weekend, Tiktok was inundated with videos of the dance style, and some of the most well-known creators joined in, contributing to its unstoppable popularity.
Other content creators have gone a step further by demonstrating their dance styles with an actual panga – some are filming videos of themselves while dancing to the tune at supermarkets, where they can be seen brandishing fresh new pangas from the shelves.
Several well-known Tiktok dancers have already begun releasing recordings of themselves taking part in the challenge.
Kabuda, a popular dance influencer, as well as comedians Mulamwah, Terence Creative, and DJ Shiti, have all been filmed enjoying the dance.
Kenyans on X have also welcomed the dance, however, with different perspectives.
While some believe that Kenyans really needed a new dance style, others find the style morbidly unsettling because it includes mimicking the act of dismembering oneself or another person with a panga.
Those opposed to the dancing style have highlighted the prevalence of femicide incidents around the country, with many expressing their discomfort with enjoying a dance that reminds them of homicides and horrible murders.
However, some Kenyans have no issue with the dance style. Supporters of the ‘Mapangale’ dance argue that the Kenyan youth are simply a creative group, and their content serves to uplift the nation’s mood.
Also weighing in on the debate was popular X personality Fello Ngugih, who stated, “The Mapangale style was created by a certain matatu driver. He does it to everyone who greets him, and people simply respond in kind. It’s not about killing each other. It’s been around for a while and has a different meaning in the matatu industry as well. The real issue here is that you guys on Twitter are overreacting.”
While the ‘Mapangale’ dance style has sparked mixed reactions, with some defending it as a creative expression of Kenyan youth culture, others see it as controversial.
Ultimately, the debate highlights the evolving nature of trends and how they can be interpreted differently across various communities, and age groups.
