Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part III of a three part pancocojams series about some South Africans' body stances and steps while singing Christian music.
[In this pancocojams series "South African" refers to the nation of South Africa.]
This post showcases some YouTube videos of the body stances that South African high school students have (had) and certain steps those school students perform (performed) while singing Christian songs.
This post also includes information about Zionist Gospel music (in Africa) and my editor's notes about this post.
The Addendum of this post showcases a YouTube video that was published in 2012, but was originally filmed btween 1985-1998. A brief portion of that film includes a woman who was a member of that singing group performing dance movements while singing that I believe are the same or very similar to the movements of a female student who is highlighted online for starting the movement routine in the 2023 viral video "Ndikhokhele Bawo" that was led by Phila Mpofu. (given as Showcase video #6 below).
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/10/some-south-africans-body-stances-and.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. This post showcases some YouTube videos of the body stances that South African school church members or Christian singing groups have (had) and certain steps those church members or members of those singing groups perform (performed) while singing Christian songs. This post also includes information about Zionist Gospel music (in Africa) and my editor's notes about this post.
The content of this post is presented for religious and socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these showcased videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post.
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Previously published pancocojams post about South African Christian music may include information about and videos of this subject. Click the tags below for links to those posts.
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THE MEANING OF "ZION" IN AFRICAN GOSPEL
This AI write-up is the result of my query regarding Zion Gospel music in Africa.
"AI Overview
In African gospel music and the broader African Zionism movement, Zion represents a sacred spiritual home, freedom from colonial oppression, and the blending of Christian faith with traditional African worship."....
-snip-
The complete reprint of this AI Overview write-up is given in Part I of this pancocojams series.
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INFORMATION ABOUT SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOL STUDENTS SINGING ZION GOSPEL SONGS DURING MORNING ASSEMBLIES AND DURING OTHER TIMES
"AI Overview
South African school students singing Zion gospel hymns and
worship songs during morning assemblies has become a powerful cultural and
viral phenomenon shared widely across social media platforms like TikTok and
Facebook.
Overview of the Tradition
Cultural Impact: Morning assemblies in many South African
schools often begin with passionate, harmonic choir and congregational singing
that blend traditional African vocal styles with Christian gospel or Zion
hymns.
Viral Moments: Videos capturing students—such as groups from
the Eastern Cape or institutions like Nyanga High School performing songs like
His Name is Yahweh or traditional hymns like Zundikhokhele Bawo—frequently go
viral, moving viewers with their emotional depth and unity.
Spiritual Expression: Participants and onlookers often
describe these unscripted musical displays as moments where the energy and
passion of the students bring a deeply reflective or uplifting atmosphere to
the school day"
-This is the end of that write-up.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
I'm African American and have no direct knowledge of South African (or any other African) culture.
I have been interested in the subject of South Africans' body stances and steps while singing Christian songs since at least 2023 when I viewed a YouTube video of a morning assembly at a South African school in which a female student moved in a distinctive way while she and other students led by Phila Mpofu sang the traditional Xhosa song "Ndikhokhele Bawo"*
*Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/08/south-african-students-led-by-phila.html "South African Students Led By Phila Mpofu Singing The Xhosa Hymn "Ndikhokhele Bawo" During Morning Assembly" for an August 2026 reprint of a pancocojams post that I published on this subject.
That YouTube video is given as Showcase Video #6 in this post.
As a result of other recent queries to AI Overview I learned that the term "chuka-chuka" steps refers to these movements, but wanted more information and clarification about that term.
I'm still interested in learning more about the history of and past/current descriptions of what I believe is a distinctive way that South Africans stand and move while singing Christian songs. I'm also interested in learning whether those body stances and steps have been adopted by other Africans (if so, who, where, when, and how).
Please share any information and corrections on these subjects. Thanks!
Disclaimer:
These pancocojams posts don't mean to imply that these are the only body stances/steps (movements) that are performed by South Africans singing Christians songs.
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SELECTED SHOWCASE VIDEOS
These videos showcase South African school high students singing religious songs.
With the exception of Video # 6, these videos were somewhat arbitrarily selected from other possible examples on YouTube.
These videos are given in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
The 2013 date for the first video in this pancocojams compilation shouldn't be interpreted as the beginning date for when these stance/steps were performed by South African school students.
SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 - Ithemba lam'
Choral Imperative, Mar 4, 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czGABOkLGqU
-snip-
Unfortunately, this school isn't identified by name or location besides South Africa.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Dloko High School Choir
Mark Small. Apr 16, 2015
In January 2015 I accompanied an Edinburgh based charity,
Jabulani Project on a visit to Durban, South Africa to document the amazing
work they are doing with young people there.
This is the first film from a series of shorts I will be
producing with the fantastic footage I captured when over. This film was shot
in challenging conditions at Dloko High School, Umlazi Township, on 23rd
January 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3D2zCoIWTk
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Phathakahle high school Zion music
rose shoba, Mar 1, 2018
PHATHAKAHL HIGH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLiB4uO0aZk
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - Leribe High School
lily, Mar 27, 2020
09 June 2015- Parents Meeting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEOKT5DR4Bk
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - Nyanga High School - "Zonk' Izizwe zisondelene"
(All Nations Are United)
SA Schools Got Talent, Mar 25, 2021
Nyanga High School, Engcobo, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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SHOWCASE VIDEO # 6- Bawo Ndiyabonga (Bawo Song Choir) lead singer Phila Mpofu 🙂🥰
Phila Mpofu, Sep 16, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofBKS6vSrS4
-snip-
Compare the movement steps of the school girl in the front row, far left, with the movements of the woman in the video given in this post's Addendum. I watched that school girl almost from the beginning of that video, but I'm particularly referring to her body stance and steps beginning around 1:20.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #7 - Empangeni High School Choir - Bamba Mzalwane🔥🔥🔥🔥
Our Zion Music, Jan 12, 2025 Zion
Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXcTaU_26gE
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ADDENDUM - UMNGQOKOLO - Thembu Xhosa - OVERTONE SINGING filmed
1985-1998 in South Africa
QuangHai Tran, May 17, 2012
All these video recordings were made by Prof.Dr. Dave Dargie
in South Africa from 1985 and 1998 among the Xhosa tribe...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYj-55T6Uzs
-snip-
It appears to me that [from about 17:41 to the movements of the woman in the far left of the row behind the seated singers is very similar to the movements of the school girl who is standing in the far left front row of the video given as Showcase video #6 above.
-snip-
This video is showcased in this 2026 pancocojams post: https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/10/2012-youtube-video-of-xhosa-women.html
"2012 YouTube Video Of Xhosa Women Performing "Overtone Singing" (Vocal Techniques That Are The Same As Or Similar To "Throat Singing")"
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This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
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