Location: Renaca, Chile
Christell Rodriguez first performed her hit ‘Dubidubidu’
at a talent show when she was just five years old
(Christell Rodriguez, Chilean singer)
"It came out in 2003 and I was five years old, but from all the information I've been able to gather, the producer of the album asked for a song about inviting friends to the house while I was in a car, like a toy car, obviously. So a composer followed that instruction and created this song.”
In January, the decades-old song hit number
one on Spotify’s Viral Top 50 in Japan
It has also caught on in places
like Germany, Finland and South Korea
RODRIGUEZ: "I want people to keep listening to the song, I want them to keep making videos, I've seen choreographies that they do with puppies, rabbits, kittens and babies. I'm very happy with this kind of trend, which is easier, so to speak, more with the people.”
Social media trends keep on evolving, but amid the chaos, one intriguing yet silly song has become a global sensation. The children’s song Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa, accompanied by its catchy beats and lyrics is on everyone’s lips, it is even dominating social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for its charm and mysterious lyrics. The song came into existence in 2003, but it garnered popularity in 2022, especially on TikTok, where videos featuring people dancing and lip syncing to the tune quickly received millions of views. Users have added their unique choreography, and even used the phrase into memes and various internet challenges. The origins of its popularity remain unclear, but reports suggest that an animation video played a pivotal role in pushing Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa to viral fame.
According to reports, the origins of the viral song can be traced back to September 2010 when Chile based child singer Christell Rodriguez, who is now an adult, uploaded her song Dubidubidu on YouTube. Although the song was originally recorded in 2003, it became popular over the years. The original clip was made private on the platform in 2023. Christell reportedly performed the song live on stage during an episode of the reality show Rojo. Somehow, the song resurfaced on the internet, and went on to become a global phenomenon.
Despite the perception that the lyrics don’t make sense, the children’s song Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa has a simple theme and carries a straightforward message. In the song, the performer can be heard inviting her friends to gather at her house for activities like drawing, singing and dancing together.
In an earlier interview, Christell Rodriguez spoke about the unexpected popularity of the song with Lun. She said, “It has been brutal. Every day is something new. I only know that it started within a video game community. Someone uploaded an animation of a character dancing to this song. Then videos began to appear of this kitten moving its head to the rhythm of the song and then it exploded again and began to go elsewhere, mainly to Asia. Then it came to me. Since the song was not on Spotify, the audio did not belong to anyone, so my name did not appear or anything.”
Christell Jazmín Rodriguez Carrillo, known mononymously as Christell is a Chilean former child singer. She is known for her appearance in the popular Chilean television Talent show "Rojo Fama Contrafama" imitating a young singer María José Quintanilla in a contest. Having recorded three albums since then, she was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award by her second record production.
Her song from her debut album "Dubidubidu" became a viral meme song in 2024.
Biography
Only daughter of Christian Rodriguez and Myriam Carrillo, both members of the musical Christian group "Misterio Musical Evangelística Piedra Viva", Christell grew up with music around her. As her mother says "Christell from a very young age felt interest for the music, beginning not only singing, but playing some instruments and dancing". At the age of two, Christell took part in a festival of tambourines and percussion. Her father comments that "In the tambourine goes her rhythmic base and the times to enter to a song". Then and until years later, Christell continued accompanying her parents in musical presentations at their church playing the tambourine. At the age of four she took part in a children's festival with an original song called "Mom told a story". That same year she collaborated in a Christian dance group.
Her artistic career began at the age of 5, on July 1, 2003, when she competed in a contest made by the TV show "Rojo Fama Contrafama" in one of their galas. This gala was in the city Talcahuano and its purpose was to find the "double" of Maria Jose Quintanilla (member of the TV show "Rojo Fama Contrafama"), that is, another girl who could sing or resembles to the young singer who was known for her Mexican repertory. Christell sang the popular song "Mexico Lindo y Querido" and captured the hearts of the audience winning the contest. The five-year-old singer captures the heart of the nation.
Christell went on the show "Rojo...", singing popular Mexican songs which were also in Maria Jose Quintanilla's album. At five years old she sang songs like La Bikina, La Mochila Azul, Cielito Lindo, among others. After a few months and after an agreement with the Warner Music Group, the young singer recorded an album, and in November of that year, she launched her first album which in one day sold more than eight thousand copies. After a week she reached platinum and then eight platinum discs.
"Mueve el Ombligo" (Move your belly button) was the hit single from the album, which reached top1 on national radios for weeks becoming "the summer hit". The song was so popular that today it is a classic. After this success she recorded two more albums, and even though the sale phenomenon from the first one was not repeated, both albums were successful, reaching five and two platinum discs respectively.
In 2005 Christell began a tour in Mexico, Puerto Rico and on the Latin communities of the USA, like Miami and Los Angeles, where she launched a special-edition-album with her greatest hits. During this tour the young singer earned a gold disc for more than 50,000 copies sold in Mexica. In November Christell was nominated to the Grammy Latino by her second album "La Fiesta Continua" at seven years old.
In 2006 she took part in the TV show "La Movida del Festival" of Channel 13, (Chile) as a "Commentator" of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. Her role was to give her opinion and point of view on this festival. This way, at eight years old, Christell became the youngest person ever on commenting the biggest Latin American Festival.
Due to her success, Doce Company signed a contract with her manager to create a cartoon with Christell's image becoming the first artist in Chile to have a cartoon. The project included a clothing line, toys, school and selfcare products and a cartoon TV series, everything carrying the cartoon image of the young singer.
After a disagreement between the parents of the singer and her manager, the entire project was canceled and only a few products and clothes were on sale for a while since the agency could not cancel them. The parents claimed they canceled the contract because the manager agency had plans for the young singer that had not been discussed with them with the intention of taking monetary advantage. In the end they signed a contract with Multimusica Company.
After an almost two-year-long pause (2006–2007), Christell re-appeared on 2008 as a ten-year-old actress on the Chilean TV channel Chilevision doing live theatre in the Theatre in Chilevision. In November of that year, she sang on the First Christian Music Festival.
Since then, Christell has appeared in many TV shows like "Animal Nocturno"(2008), "Theatre in Chilevision"(2008–2009), "La Movida del Festival"(2010), "Viva La Mañana"(2010), "Acoso Textual"(2010), "Calle 7"(2011), "Buenos dias a Todos"(2011).
Christell has not recorded a new album since her third one in 2004 at 7 years old, but she says her career has not stopped since she has kept singing, making concerts, composing new songs, playing different instruments and appearing on different TV shows where she is invited.
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