President Obama Dancing The Lipala During His Visit To Kenya

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a video of United States President Barack Obama joining in the Lipala dance during his visit to Kenya.

The Lipala is a traditional Kenyan (Luhya ethnic group) dance that has recently been popularized by the Kenyan Afro-Pop group Sauti Sol. That group's official "Sura Yako" video, their instructional dance video and three additional videos of the Lipala [nightclub]dance are featured on http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/07/kenyas-afro-pop-group-sauti-sol-sura.html "Kenya's Afro-Pop Group Sauti Sol - "Sura Yako" (featuring the Lipala dance)"

The content of this post is provided for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to United States President Obama, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and all others who are featured in this video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

Click http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33667342 for information about President Obama's official visit to Kenya, East Africa (July 23-25, 2015). That link includes a video in which several Kenyan young adults reflect on the what President Obama's visit to their nation meant to them.

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From http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/07/26/in-nairobi-a-presidential-dance-party/
"In Nairobi, a presidential dance party" by Juliet Eilperin July 26, 2015
NAIROBI -- This was no ordinary state dinner.

President Obama and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta didn't just toast each other Saturday night, they danced together.

The meal featured the usual toasts between leaders, complete with effusive praise and a heavy emphasis on Obama's Kenyan connections...

But the real fun began after a Kenyan group called Sauti Sol serenaded Obama in English and Swahili and sang songs such as "Coming Home" and "Sura Yako." They started by paying homage to the first lady. "We are so sad that our mother Michelle could not come," the lead singer said.

Once the band started to dance Obama got up, buttoned his jacket and joined in. The entire head table -- as well as several guests -- joined arms and swayed together to the music, with Obama sandwiched between his national security adviser Susan Rice and his sister Auma Obama, from his father's first marriage.

And finally, the president sang. The Nairobi youth orchestra and choir performed after Sauti Sol, accompanying President Kenyatta's niece, Kavi Pratt, a vocalist. When she began singing "At Last," POTUS sang along without a mike."...

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: American President BARACK OBAMA Dancing The Lipala Dance in KENYA



Nigerian Celebrities Videos, Published on Jul 25, 2015

American president Barack Obama visited Kenya recently and was seen doing the Kenyan lipala dance.
-snip-
[Note that the video is looped several times.]

Selected comments from that YouTube video's discussion thread; All of these comments are from July 2015:

Sila Kapting'ei. 2015
"...he has some some moves"

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Reply
VisualDisplay07,
"+Sila Kapting'ei It's NOT THAT surprising. Look up: electric slide, bus stop and cupid shuffle. These are dances black Americans have been doing for decades to a much faster tempo. Similar steps so not hard for POTUS to catch on to "to the left and to the right and turn..." lol If he brought his own DJ, he may have taught Kenyans a few moves. :0]"

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lovejangie1
Reply
"+VisualDisplay07 Good point! So true!"

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loud4trth, 2015
"The US will never get a president as cool as Obama. Dude is just cool wid it"

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