Arms crossed in front of the body, shoulders hunched, knees bent, feet shuffling. In 2017, young people on the streets of Lagos were doing a dance called shaku shaku, and within months it was everywhere: in music videos, at weddings, in schools and on social media. For about two years, it was the sound and look of Nigerian street pop.
Origins
Shaku shaku came from the streets of Lagos, where young dancers developed it at parties and neighbourhood gatherings before it reached the studios.
The moves
The dance involves crossing the arms, swinging them as if waving a cloth, bending forward and stepping in a shuffling motion. Dancers often add their own flair.
The music
A wave of songs built for the dance followed. Artists such as Mr Real, Idowest, Slimcase and others released street-pop tracks with tempos suited to shaku shaku. Songs like Mr Real’s “Legbegbe” became huge hits.
Olamide
Olamide, one of Nigeria’s most influential artists in street music, embraced the trend, giving it wider exposure. His YBNL label played a major role in street pop.
Street pop
Shaku shaku was part of a broader street-pop movement, music rooted in the experiences of young people in Lagos neighbourhoods, often sung in Yoruba and Pidgin.
Music videos
Videos featuring groups of young dancers doing shaku shaku became common. Dancers who appeared in videos became minor celebrities.
Zanku
By 2019, shaku shaku gave way to newer dances such as zanku, popularised by Zlatan and others. The cycle of new dances continued.
Influence
The dance showed how street culture shapes mainstream Nigerian music. Artists often release songs designed around dances because dance drives popularity.
Social media
Instagram and other platforms helped spread shaku shaku quickly beyond Lagos to the rest of Nigeria and the diaspora.
Dancers as stars
Young dancers who performed shaku shaku in videos, sometimes with distinctive costumes or moves, gained large followings on social media. Some were invited to perform at shows and events across Nigeria.
Criticism
Some critics linked the dance to street culture they disapproved of, and a few schools discouraged it. Its fans saw it as harmless fun and a form of creative expression for young people.
Shaku shaku started on the streets and ended up at weddings with aunties joining in. That is the usual life of a Lagos dance, and few have done it faster.
