Dozens of extravagantly dressed dandies, known locally as sapeurs, turned out in Kinshasa to mark the anniversary of the death of Stervos Niarcos, a pop star and one of the most famous of DRC’s dandies. Niarcos, who died in 1995, epitomised the fanatical pursuit of elegance for many in the poor central African country
Photos by Alexis Huguet/AFP
Main image: A man skips over a grave during a gathering of sapeurs in the cemetery in Kinshasa where Stervos Niarcos is buried. Photograph: Alexis Huguet/AFP/Getty Images
Mon 13 Feb 2023 03.00 EST Last modified on Mon 13 Feb 2023 04.13 EST
Sapeurs are flamboyant dandies who flaunt coveted designer labels, in stark contrast to the grinding poverty surrounding them Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
One dandy wore glasses dripping with beads, which he said represented the tears of the people in the east Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sapeurs strutted up and down the pavement of Kinshasa’s main thoroughfare, Boulevard de 30 Juin, before gathering around Niarcos’s grave Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
The cemetery became a place of celebration as the dandies skipped over tombs to pay tribute to what one described as their ‘pope’, Stervos Niarcos Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
