Nelson Mandela might be known right around the world for his fight for the freedom of the people of South Africa, but images and videos of him dancing have become synonymous with his legacy …
Being a man who refused to let the plight he faced get him down, there was very rarely an occasion when you wouldn’t find uTata smiling.
Everyone new Madiba by his voice, but his celebrations could easily be distinguished from all others, simply by what has become known as the ‘Madiba Jive’.
One of the earliest times we were blessed with the dance was when it was announced that the African National Congress (ANC) had won the 1994 elections.
Over the years, there were many times when Madiba would liven up celebrations or just ordinary occasions with his signature smile and dance.
After his passing in 2013, an organisation by the name of Dance for Madiba was started to take Mandela Day to the world, to bring unity to all people, and to raise money for projects to be used for good in South Africa. One of their first projects was the Madiba Jive initiative in 2015 and 2016, when they asked people all around the world to submit videos of themselves doing the dance with their organisations, colleagues, families and friends.
The reaction was spectacular, as they received 101 videos in total and raised tens of thousands of Rands for charity.
Here’s the final cut of the video they compiled from the submissions:
If you want to learn how to do the Madiba Jive, look no further than the simple tutorial below:
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