(yelling)
(upbeat music)
- Welcome to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo
or the DRC.
This country's known as the richest
and the poorest country in the entire world.
Richest, because it has so many natural resources,
we're talking gold, diamonds, cobalt,
you name it, it's here,
and also the Congo river,
the mighty Congo river if it could be harnessed,
could power the entirety of Africa.
But despite all this, the people have very little
but there's a group here called
the Society of Elegant People and Ambience Makers,
and they make a full time living dressing fresh.
Let's meet a local celebrity.
- Interview complete.
Oh, I have to touch, again?
- I know clothes, the clothes know me
so we're gonna see how well he knows clothes
because behind behind that door is his wardrobe.
We're gonna do a little tour.
Sap or Sapology is an abbreviation
of the Society of Ambience Makers and Elegant People.
It's a religion and subculture born here in Kinshasa
and the neighboring city of Brazzaville.
Besides Sapuers, some also call these people
the Congo Dandies.
Clothing brands mean everything to a Sapuer,
Ekeko invites me into his bedroom slash closet
to show me some of the highlights.
- This is Dolce & Gabbana.
- [Mike] It's white or silver, right?
- [Mike] Dolce & Gabbana? - Dolce & Gabbana
- [Mike] No joke.
These are, I gotta say these are very nice clothes.
- [Mike] Ah, H & M, another quality brand.
- [Mike] Four, ZARA four letters like HIV.
- Like HIV. - HIV is 3 letters my friend.
- HIV for in French is SIDA.
- [Mike] Okay we're off the rails a bit.
Ekeko says his wife is totally cool
with him spending so much money on clothes,
but I wanted to double check.
- Oh seriously so Ekeko, your husband,
supports the whole family with his Sapuer attitude.
What do you of his clothes?
Are all of his clothes nice,
or you like some more than others?
- [Obed] So she says, she says everything.
- He looks good in everything.
- [Obed] He looks good in everything.
- [Mike] Ekeko wants to take me
to one of his favorite places to shop
to show me the fancier side of Kinshasa.
I'm learning quickly that Ekeko the Living Monument
is a strange guy to hang out with.
- I'm a little overwhelmed right now.
This is the most intense shopping
I've done in my entire life.
- Are we baptized into Sapology?
So we proceed to try on some clothes.
Ekeko gets an orange bedazzled suit.
He gets some pretty fresh pants
and some crocodile skin shoes.
He's so excited that he runs into traffic.
(horns blaring)
- So we're in the middle of Kinshasa traffic right now
doing a street performance, I think,
not sure what to do.
Do we need the touch? - Yeah.
- [Mike] We have to?
He's not gonna come until we-
Dude come on.
Eventually we get him back in the shop.
Think of one video in the past guys
I've worn fancy clothes.
There are none.
- The gold?
- Dolce & Gabanna, this Dolce & Gabbana.
- It fits, it fits like Cinderella's slipper.
- All right, I've been soaked
in the ceremonial waters of Sap which is good
because the next day I'll be joining Ekeko
and his crew on the streets of Kinshasa.
(bouncy music)
Let's meet the crew.
(bouncy music continues)
I pull a couple of the Sapuers
over to the side for a quick chat.
Here's Mama Africa.
- [Mike] And one of the original four
who started the whole Sapology religion, Contra-Basse.
I really, I really liked how you were dancing.
- Yes, yes, yes, I dance very well, I dance very well.
- Yeah you do, you do. - Because me, me,
I am a big choreographer.
I'm a master choreographer.
- You teach choreography.
- Yes, I teach choreography. I teach choreography.
I teach choreography in the big orchestra.
I don't teach a choreography in the small orchestra,
bigger with King Kester Emeneya.
I am the best, I am best in the world.
Me. I'm the best in the world.
- Well, there he goes. - Anywhere!
- Sap, clothing, style- - Anywhere!
- Confidence, swagger, ambience, all of it,
and this man right here has got two giant handful of it.
- And if I, if I meet you, I will beat you.
- All right we have arrived at our, at the spot.
This is, not quite sure if I look good or ridiculous.
I think I look ridiculous,
and I'm not sure if you saw my shoes yet.
It's got silver pointed studs, it's got a Jaguar
or leopard face, and it's got leopard skin.
All right let's go make a fool out of ourselves,
and then we hit the streets.
What you're listening to right now
it's the official song of Sap.
(upbeat music)
Each of the crew members has their own unique personality
their own strut, their own tricks,
and their own unique way to stop traffic.
(horns honking)
It's a spectacle.
When I asked about it I thought we were gonna be
on the side street not on the main street,
in the middle of the traffic.
(horns honking)
(upbeat music)
(Contra-Basse yelling)
- It's a show, man, I don't know.
It's like, there's two ways you can do this kind of stuff.
Whether it be in the middle of the street in Kinshasa
or at a wedding, you just let lose have fun,
and no one knows if you've made a mistake, right?
And plus if you make a mistake in Sap
it kinda looks like you're doing Sap anyway.
Wow it was tons of fun
spinning around the streets of Kinshasa in a gold suit.
I had the suspicion that Sapology has roots
in some colonial bullshit.
I speak to my guide Obed
because obviously the traditional clothing of Congo
wasn't fluorescent two piece suits.
There has been a massive amount of exploitation
in this country.
We'll dive into it more and more through this series,
but originally these suits, you can probably guess,
were from Europe
and often they were given to Africans who had aid
in the trafficking of rubber and slaves.
Now, though, it's departed far from that
and become its own subculture and religion.
As someone who really doesn't give a damn
about clothes at all,
I had one more question for Obed.
Are they wasting their money?
Do they have enough money?
They obviously don't have a lot of money.
So are they wasting their money on clothes?
- I would say they, they are obsessed about that-
- In a bad way though?
- No, no, that's a judgment,
but because I would say those guys are performing
and they're growing their career.
They'll be used for- - Like a street performer?
- Advertisement for instance.
- In what way advertisement?
- Yeah let's say someone is coming with a new brand.
Oh, like Versace would come?
- Versace, like Dolce & Gabbana.
- and they get the Sapuers to dress in the new style.
- Exactly that's the way they're making money.
- And they get paid.
- Anyway even on each level, they really make money,
whatever it is where they make money
and I think it's much more an art,
and a very interesting art to develop actually.
- It's amazing. - Yeah.
- All right dude, cheers. Thank you so much.
This is all Obed by the way,
you probably know him by now
but you're gonna get to know him very well
because we're gonna make
at least four or five videos here in Congo.
If you want to come to DRC
or many other African countries
message this guy he's a wizard.
- Yes, I try my best and most welcome.
I think I will make you more fearless.
- Come back probably.
So if you wanna be fearless and far, contact Obed.
- Thank you very much.
- Cheers man, and dragons, hey chase your fears, right?
And I'll catch you in the next video here in Congo.
(upbeat music)