In early 2020, a group of young Angolan dancers filmed themselves doing a line dance to a South African gospel-house song. They were holding plates of food and eating as they moved.
The group was Fenómenos do Semba, a dance collective from Luanda. The song was “Jerusalema” by the South African producer Master KG, featuring the singer Nomcebo Zikode. Their video set off the #JerusalemaDanceChallenge, which spread across Africa and then the world: nurses, police officers, priests, footballers and office workers filmed their own versions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The song
“Jerusalema” was released on 29 November 2019. It is a house track with a gospel message, sung in isiZulu. Nomcebo Zikode, who co-wrote it, sings a prayer asking to be taken to Jerusalem, the heavenly home, because this world is not her home.
Master KG, whose real name is Kgaogelo Moagi, is from Limpopo province. He had built a following with house and Bolobedu-influenced music before “Jerusalema” made him an international name.
The dance
The choreography Fenómenos do Semba created was simple enough for anyone to learn: a set of steps, turns and claps repeated in a line. That simplicity was the key. Groups of colleagues, families and friends could learn it in an afternoon and film it.
By mid-2020, “Jerusalema” was reported to be the most Shazamed song in the world. Hospitals, churches and police units posted videos as a way of lifting morale during lockdowns. Versions came from Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.
Remix and charts
A remix featuring Burna Boy was released in 2020 and extended the song’s reach. “Jerusalema” topped charts in several countries and became one of the biggest African songs of the decade.
The royalties question
The song’s success also raised a long-running dispute about royalties. Nomcebo Zikode, who co-wrote the song and sings it, spoke publicly about being underpaid relative to its global success, and disagreements with the label over payment followed. The case became part of a wider debate about how African artists are paid when their songs go viral worldwide.
What it showed
“Jerusalema” showed that an African song in an African language, without a big international marketing campaign, could become a global phenomenon through a dance video. It also showed the power of African dancers and content creators, like Fenómenos do Semba, in making songs travel.
A song others wanted to sing
The song’s reach brought covers and reworkings from established artists. Angélique Kidjo recorded her own version, which was nominated for a Grammy, taking a South African song popularised by Angolan dancers to the most prestigious awards ceremony in American music. Local versions appeared in several languages, and churches and schools adopted it as a song for celebrations.
Master KG has acknowledged that the Angolan video was what turned his track into a global hit. A song about wanting to go to Jerusalem was carried around the world by dancers in Luanda holding lunch.
