"Numa Numa" (/ˈnuːmə/) is anInternet meme based on a video by AmericanvloggerGary Brolsma made after the song "Dragostea din tei", released byMoldovan pop groupO-Zone in 2003. Brolsma's video, entitled "Numa Numa Dance", was uploaded to the websiteNewgrounds on December 6, 2004, under the usernameGman250, showing Brolsma'slip-syncing of the song with lively dance moves. The video's title is derived from theRomanian words "nu mă nu mă" occurring in the refrain of O-Zone's song, which was the first Numa Numa-themed video to gain widespread attention.
Numa Numa Dance has since spawned many parody videos, including those created for theNew Numa Contest, sponsored by Brolsma, which promised US$45,000 in prize money for submissions.[1] His original video was named 41st in the 2006 broadcast of100 Greatest Funny Moments byChannel 4 in theUnited Kingdom.[2] The video was featured onChannel 4'sVirtually Famous,[3] and ranked No. 1 inVH1's "40 Greatest Internet Superstars" in March 2007.[4]The Viral Factory estimated that the video had been viewed over 700 million times by November 27, 2006.[5]
OnNewgrounds,Numa Numa Dance has since earned over 8,000,000 views, from which it has been reposted to hundreds of websites. A 2006BBC report claimed thatNuma Numa Dance was the second most-watched viral video of all time, with 700 million views accumulated, losing out merely to the "Star Wars kid", based on page impression figures collated byviral marketing companyThe Viral Factory.[6] Brolsma received mainstream media's coverage fromABC'sGood Morning America,NBC'sThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno,VH1'sBest Week Ever, withNuma Numa having been listed as No. 1 onVH1sTop 40 Internet Superstars.
The New York Times said that Brolsma was an "unwilling and embarrassed Web celebrity" however.[7] He cancelled media appearances, but reappeared in September 2006 with a professionally produced video,New Numa orNuma Numa 2[note 1], featuring a song dedicated to him by theVariety Beats.[8][9] This video, hosted onYouTube, marked the start of the "New Numa Contest", which promised US$45,000 in prize money and a US$25,000 award to the winner.[10] On May 23, 2008, Brolsma was featured alongside otherinternet celebrities in themusic video ofWeezer's song "Pork and Beans",[11] from their self-titled 2008 albumWeezer.
On December 5, 2014, Brolsma uploaded a video entitledNuma Numa 10-Year Reunion to theNewgrounds. The video featured his lip-syncing of several songs, including "Shake It Off" byTaylor Swift, "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" by Bob Dylan and "Firework" by Katy Perry. Both the original video and 10-Year Reunion video have been deleted by the moderation team of theNewgrounds overmusic licensing issues.[12][13][14] Brolsma later stated in an interview, "...I found "Dragostea Din Tei" in another (I believe it was Japanese) flash animation with cartoon cats".[15]
On April 1, 2017, Brolsma uploaded the original video to his own YouTube channel.[16] On November 20, 2022, an emote based on the viral dance was released inEpic Games'Fortnite: Battle Royale as a collaboration with Brolsma and O-Zone. On May 11, 2023, the video was permanently deleted from the original channel, formerlyNuma Networks – now named theDork Daily, on livestream due to threats of a copyright strike from Brolsma.[17][18]
On 11 August 2023, Brolsma released a remake of his 2004 video on his YouTube channel.[19] As of 17 October 2024, the remake has accumulated 1,771,125 views.[20]
Gary Brolsma | |
|---|---|
 Brolsma in 2006 | |
| Born | Gary William Brolsma (1986-01-14)January 14, 1986 (age 39) Saddle Brook, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Notable work | "Numa Numa Dance" |
Gary William Brolsma (born January 14, 1986)[21] is an American vlogger and musician who gained worldwide attention after posting theNuma Numa Dance video in 2004. He made appearances onABC'sGood Morning America,NBC'sThe Tonight Show andVH1'sBest Week Ever. A 2006 story inThe Believer explored the song's spread and global homogenization, while arguing that Brolsma's video "singlehandedly justifies the existence of webcams... It’s a movie of someone who is having the time of his life, wants to share his joy with everyone, and doesn’t care what anyone else thinks."[22] In 2007, he was voted the Number 1 Internet Icon byVH1 in their40 Greatest Internet Superstars list, beating theStar Wars kid who placed at Number 2.[4]
On October 15, 2007,The New York Times reported that Brolsma had collaborated on a video withlonelygirl15'sGlenn Rubenstein, andChad Vader'sAaron Yonda andMatt Sloan as a part ofCanon'sBattle of the Viral Video Superstars.[23] In 2008, Brolsma released his first album,Weird Tempo.[24] In 2019, he released his second album,Haunted House of Pancakes.[25]