Michael Amofa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Amofa Michael October 17, 1994 Accra, Ghana |
| Occupation | Dance artist, choreographer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Height | 5' 8" |
| Current group | AfroZig |
| Former groups | swap geez, 2tyt crew, Pipeline dance Crew, one spirit crew, Gbeke theory dance cliq, gentlemen dance crew |
| Dances | Hip-hop dance, Afro Dance |
| Website | theincrediblezigi |
Amofa Michael (born 17 October 1994) known professionally as Incredible Zigi, is a Ghanaian dance artist and choreographer. [1] [2]
Michael began dancing professionally in 2003, [3] on the streets of Accra. [4]
His career began with the help of his brother, who gave him the opportunity to travel and participate in dance workshops. [5]
He is credited to have created the PILOLO and KUPE dance steps as elements in Afrobeats/Azonto. [6] Musicians such as Janet Jackson have infused these dance steps in their choreography and have performed them on tour and in their videos. [7] The KUPE dance was featured on the NBA 2K20 by the game developers Visual Concepts. [8] Michael is noted for his dance challenges on social media. [9]
Kupe - Kupe Dance is a song by Ghanaian-UK-based artist A-Star. But Michael is credited to have created the KUPE dance steps. [10]
Pilolo - Pilolo dance was created by Michael and became a hit in New York City with Janet Jackson performing Pilolo at the end of her performance “Made for Now” on “The Tonight Show” starring Jimmy Fallon. The name Pilolo was borrowed from a hide and seek game popular among Ghanaian kids. [11]
Ena - Ena', is a popularly used Akan language conjunction which translates to English as “And”. Michael Started the Ena Dance in 2019 and it is known for going viral on social media within weeks. [10]
Afrobeat is a music genre that involves the combination of elements of West African musical styles such as fuji music and highlife with American jazz and later soul and funk influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecting rhythms, and percussion. The term was coined in the 1960s by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who is responsible for pioneering and popularizing the style both within and outside Nigeria.
Jazz dance is a performance dance and style that arose in the United States in the mid 20th century. Jazz dance may allude to vernacular jazz about to Broadway or dramatic jazz. The two types expand on African American vernacular styles of dance that arose with jazz music. Vernacular jazz dance incorporates ragtime moves, Charleston, Lindy hop and mambo. Popular vernacular jazz dance performers include The Whitman Sisters, Florence Mills, Ethel Waters, Al Minns and Leon James, Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Dawn Hampton, and Katherine Dunham. Dramatic jazz dance performed on the show stage was promoted by Jack Cole, Bob Fosse, Eugene Louis Faccuito, and Gus Giordano.
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"Made for Now" is a song by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson and Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee. It was produced by English songwriter, musician and producer Harmony Samuels, with additional production contributions by Jackson's long-term collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis alongside Jackson. The song was made available for digital download on August 17, 2018, with a Dave Meyers-directed music video released simultaneously. The release marks the first for Jackson's new partnership with independent music publisher and distributor Cinq Music Group to distribute future releases her from her independent label Rhythm Nation Records.
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Afrobeats, also known as Afro-pop, Afro-fusion, is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a style per se, and more of a descriptor for the fusion of sounds flowing out of Ghana and Nigeria. Genres such as hiplife, jùjú music, highlife and naija beats, among others, were amalgamated under the 'afrobeats' umbrella.
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