Conga line
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The conga line is a
Origin
The conga dance was believed to have been brought over from Africa by enslaved people in the West Indies,[2] and became a popular street dance in Cuba. The style was appropriated by politicians during the early years of republic in an attempt to appeal to the masses before election. During Gerardo Machado's dictatorship in Cuba, Havana citizens were forbidden to dance the conga since rival groups would work themselves to high excitement and start street fights. This was not the case when Fulgencio Batista became president in the 1940s - he permitted people to dance congas during elections, but a police permit was required.[3]
Description
The conga dance style is more of a march, which is characterized by its distinctive
to the movements of the dancers. Conga dancers lift their legs in time with the rhythm of the music, marking each beat with the strong motion of their body.The basic
Western popularity
Beginning in the late 1930s, the dance became popular in the
With its simple march step, the interlinking of dancers circling about in single file, and one-two-three-bump rhythm with the fourth beat strongly marked, the dance was not only attractive but also readily accessible to US and other foreign audiences. The dance started to gain a foothold in the US around 1929, when the original La Conga nightclub opened its doors in Manhattan. It is believed that the La Conga was at Broadway and 51st Street.[2] By 1937, the conga was well known in New York.
The widespread popularity of the dance resulted in many cultural references in contemporary media. For example, the conga line was a recurring theme in Warner Bros. animated cartoons of the 1940s.
This music and dance form has become totally assimilated into Cuba's musical heritage and has been used in many film soundtracks in the US and
In popular culture
In the 1950 Malayan movie entitled "Twin Sisters (Kembar?)", in the opening scene, a conga line is performed by the guests in a party scene.
The 1955 musical film adaptation of My Sister Eileen features a conga line as a recurring gag.
In the 1963 film Billy Liar, a scene at the Locarno Dance Hall in Manchester features the conga line.
In 1984 the British band
In 1985 the Cuban-American band Miami Sound Machine reached number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 with the song "Conga".
The long-time jingle for Dad's Old-Fashioned Root Beer employed a conga beat.
The weekly fundraising event held by the charitable organisation Phone Credit For Refugees every Friday is based around the formation of a virtual conga line.
In the video game Team Fortress 2, players are able to form conga lines using the in-game emote system.
See also
- Bunny hop
- Letkajenkka
- Polonaise
References
- ^ a b c Davis, Pablo Julian. "Conga", People, History, Culture of Cuba. Luis Martinel-Fernandez, D.H. Figneredo, Louis A. Perez, Jr. and Luis Gonzales. London, Westpoint Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2003. 396-397.
- ^ a b c Watson, Sonny. "Conga", Street Swing. 1999. Accessed August 6, 2006.
- ^ a b Orovio, Helio. Cuban music from A to Z. Durham: Duke University Press, 2004. 57.
- ^ EveryHit.com - search for "Black Lace" as "Name of artist" and "Do the Conga" as "Title of song".
Further reading
- Dale A. Olsen, Daniel E. Sheehy. The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Garland Publishing: New York and London, 1998. 825.
- Roberts, John Storm. The Latin Tinge. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.