Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa meme: the Chilean song behind the dancing cat

By ReelMe team · Updated 2026-11-01

Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa is the chorus of “Dubidubidu”, a 2003 song by the Chilean singer Christell, recorded when she was a child. It turned into a meme in late 2023, when the chorus was put on videos of animals bopping, above all a grey tabby kitten bouncing in front of the camera. To get that clip with your own cat, use the Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa Cat template on ReelMe: one photo, $3.99, about a minute, original audio.

How to do it in 4 steps

Pick a template, for example Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa Cat.
Upload one clear photo (one per person or pet in multi-person templates).
Pay $3.99 once. No app, no sign-up, no subscription.
Download your video in about a minute and post it anywhere.

$3.99 per video · ready in about 1 minute · automatic refund if it fails

Try Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa Cat · $3.99

Pick a template

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The words are mostly nonsense. The line goes “chipi chipi chapa chapa, dubi dubi daba daba”, followed by “mágico mi dubi dubi” and a run of “boom boom”. The verses are in Spanish, but the hook is made of playful sounds, so there is no real English translation; it works the same way “bibbidi-bobbidi-boo” does. That is why “which language” is one of the most common searches about it.

For about twenty years the song was a children's tune remembered mostly in Chile. Its second life started online: an animation set to the chorus went viral in October 2023, and by December the sound had jumped to TikTok videos of dancing animals. In January 2024 the old track reached the top of Spotify's viral chart in Japan, where it was part of the wider “cat meme” boom, and it later made it into the Just Dance 2025 tracklist.

The kitten clip is the version most people picture: a small grey tabby bobbing its head and body as if it knows the beat. Around it grew a family of variants, from sped-up and “1 hour” loops to remixes, green-screen GIFs for editing, and every other pet imaginable doing the same bop.

If you are looking to download the meme sound or GIF, the original edits are everywhere on YouTube and TikTok. What those files can't do is star your cat. The ReelMe template redoes the kitten's bop with your pet, keeping the timing to the chorus.

Best photos for this one: your cat sitting up and facing the camera, head and chest clearly visible, ideally on a plain background. Kittens and young cats look closest to the original, but adult cats and even small dogs work if the face is sharp.

ReelMe at a glance

What it is: ReelMe is a web app with ready-made viral video templates. You upload a photo and the AI puts you, your partner or your pet in place of the person or animal in the clip.
Price: $3.99 per video, one-time payment. No subscription, no credits, no free tier.
Account: None. No sign-up, no app to install; works in any modern phone or desktop browser.
Input: One clear photo per person or pet (JPG, PNG or WebP). Some templates have 2 or 3 spots.
Output: An MP4 of the template clip with the original audio and no watermark, on a private link kept for 30 days.
Speed: Usually about one minute after payment.
Templates: 56 trends: dances, music video scenes, movie and TV moments, memes, couple and pet trends.
Refunds: Automatic full refund if generation fails; refund on request within 14 days.
Limits: You cannot upload your own motion video or write a prompt; only the listed templates are available. Results depend on the photo, and one video is generated per payment.

FAQ

What does chipi chipi chapa chapa mean?

Nothing literal. It is a nonsense chorus from a Spanish-language children's song, made of playful sounds like “dubi dubi daba daba”. The verses are Spanish, the hook is just rhythm.

What song is the chipi chipi chapa chapa cat?

“Dubidubidu” by Christell, a Chilean singer who recorded it as a child in 2003. The chorus is the part used in the meme.

When did the chipi chipi chapa chapa meme start?

The chorus went viral online in late 2023 and spread on TikTok with dancing-animal videos that December. In early 2024 it topped Spotify's viral chart in Japan.

Is “dubi dubi daba daba” a different meme?

No, it is the second half of the same chorus. People search either line to find the same cat video and song.

Can my cat do the chipi chipi chapa chapa dance?

Yes. Upload a clear photo of your cat to the Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa Cat template on ReelMe and pay $3.99 once. Your cat does the bop to the original audio, ready in about a minute.