During the vibrant mid to late 1960s, as a teenager grooving to the sounds north of Lake Erie, dance wasn’t just a pastime; it was the heartbeat of our social scene. Ballrooms echoing with swing-era memories, local arenas, and Legion halls became our dance floors, pulsating with energy from bands hailing from Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, and beyond. We eagerly soaked up the latest moves from TV dance shows, each new dance craze adding to our repertoire. Among them, the Boogaloo emerged as a true favorite. It was more than just a dance; it was a melting pot of the era’s best moves, adaptable to a spectrum of tempos, and undeniably funky. Motown’s infectious rhythms, the soulful sounds of Soul, and the raw energy of Funk became the soundtrack to our Boogaloo nights.
Years later, in 2019, while DJing at the Blues Experiment, spinning some Boogaloo tracks reignited a curiosity within me. A question from Kenneth Shipp about my Boogaloo knowledge revealed the gaps in my understanding, sending me down a research rabbit hole. The initial findings were a maze of information, but this article aims to clarify the fascinating story of the Boogaloo, a truly popular dance phenomenon.
The first step in understanding the Boogaloo is recognizing its multifaceted nature. “Boogaloo” isn’t confined to a single definition. It represents a dance form born in the 1960s within the Black community, quickly transcending its origins to become a popular social dance across demographics before fading from mainstream popularity by the 1970s. It’s also a genre of Latin music, a vibrant fusion of Latin rhythms and R&B/Soul, pioneered by Puerto Rican musicians in New York City during the mid-1960s. Adding another layer to the Boogaloo story is its revival in the 1970s by the band Electric Boogaloo, who popularized a popping-like dance also under the same name. Furthermore, the 1990s witnessed a boogaloo dance style flourish within hip-hop culture. However, our focus here is firmly on the original 1960s Boogaloo dance craze.
Teenagers dancing boogaloo in the 1960s, showcasing the popular dance style of the era.
Delving into the history of Boogaloo dancing is like piecing together a puzzle with missing pieces. Even the spelling of the name is inconsistent – boogaloo, boo-ga-loo, bugalu, bu-ga-lu, boo ga loo – reflecting its organic, evolving nature.
As a popular social dance, the Boogaloo of the 1960s was fleeting, a vibrant chapter in a decade of ever-changing dance trends. It was one of many solo and occasionally partnered dances that burst onto the scene, each building upon and incorporating elements from its predecessors. While James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul,” was captured on film doing the Boogaloo in 1964, the dance’s emergence might predate this, hinting at its spontaneous development within dance communities.
The music landscape of the Boogaloo is equally complex, branching into two main streams: Latin Boogaloo and Soul Boogaloo. Adding to the intricacy, some sources even use the term “Latin Soul Boogaloo,” blurring the lines further and highlighting the fusion at the heart of this popular music and dance movement.
The Rhythms of Latin Boogaloo Music
Latin boogaloo music was a vibrant cultural expression that blossomed in the 1960s in Spanish Harlem, New York City, thanks to the creativity of Puerto Rican musicians. The Fania record label played a pivotal role in popularizing this genre. Latin Boogaloo was characterized by its infectious blend of Latin rhythms with a distinct R&B or blues backbeat, often built around a funky cha-cha rhythm. It appears to have evolved concurrently with Soul music, reflecting the cross-cultural musical dialogue of the era. Music historian Goldman (2014) suggests that the musical style may have even borrowed its name from the already popular dance of the same name, indicating the dance’s early prominence.
However, the reign of Latin boogaloo as a dominant musical genre was relatively short-lived. By 1970, the rising tide of salsa music, fueled in part by Fania’s strategic shift in focus, led to Latin boogaloo’s decline. The LeBron Brothers’ song “Boogaloo LeBron” poignantly captures this transition within the music scene. It’s worth noting that not all “Latin boogaloo” music is ideally suited for blues dancing, highlighting the nuanced tastes within dance communities.
| Key Latin Boogaloo Music Artists |
|---|
| Joe Bataan, Tito Puente, Willie Colon, Joe Cuba, Pucho Brown, Lebron Brothers, Latin Soul Syndicate, Herbie Hancock (with “Watermelon Man”) |
| Latin Boogaloo Tracks for Boogaloo Blues Dancing |
| Latin Soul Syndicate – The funky cha cha, Mike Goudreau – Chicken boogaloo, Pete Rodriquez – I like it like that, Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers – Sex machine, Poncho Sanchez – Watermelon man |
The Soulful Sounds of Boogaloo
Soul music emerged from the rich tapestry of R&B and blues during the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, a period deeply intertwined with the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Record labels such as Atlantic, Motown, and Stax, based in musical epicenters like New York, Detroit, and Memphis, played a crucial role in nurturing and disseminating Soul music. Soul became a powerful voice for the African American experience and culture, reflecting a growing sense of pride and identity.
Artists like James Brown, rightfully known as the “Godfather of Soul,” embodied this bold and percussive spirit. His music was unapologetically rhythmic, demanding a dance style to match its intensity. Brown himself dubbed his music and the dance he performed to it “Soul boogaloo,” and later, simply “Funk,” highlighting the evolution of the genre. Legends like Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin also contributed significantly to the Soul movement, creating numerous hits with driving, syncopated beats that were perfect for dancing, though their broader repertoires extended beyond Boogaloo rhythms.
By the 1970s, Soul music diversified into various subgenres, some more conducive to blues dancing than others. James Brown’s music transitioned further into Funk. Artists such as Sam Cooke, Ben E. King, Al Green, and Otis Redding explored soulful ballads with a more subdued pulse. The Staple Singers infused a gospel sensibility into their Soul sound. As musical trends shifted, the label “Soul boogaloo” gradually faded from use, replaced by the broader term “Soul,” marking a subtle but significant evolution in music terminology.
| Influential Soul Boogaloo Musicians |
|---|
| James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Ike & Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Junior Walker, Sam & Dave, Aretha Franklin, Solomon Burke, Rufus Thomas, Etta James, Billy Preston, Booker T and the MGs, Irma Thomas |
| Essential Soul Boogaloo Songs |
| Etta James – In the basement / I prefer you / Tell mama, Ray Charles – I got a woman / What I’d say, James Brown – I got you / Say it loud /Papa’s got a brand-new bag / Cold sweat / Sex machine, Solomon Burke – Cry to me, Wynton Marsalis – What’d I say (boogaloo), Aretha Franklin – The house that Jack built / Respect / Chain of fools/ Rock steady, John Primer & Bob Corritore – Harmonica boogaloo, Smokey Robinson – Going to a go-go / I second that emotion, Marvin Gaye – I heard it through the grapevine, Sam & Dave – Soul man / Hold on, I’m comin’, Martha and the Vandellas – Dancing in the streets, Stevie Wonder – Superstition / Uptight, Junior Wells – Messin’ with the kid / Chitlin’ con carne / We’re ready, Blind Mississippi Morris – Funk ‘n see, Daddy Mack Blues Band – Giving you my money, Junior Walker – Money / Shotgun /Cleo’s mood / Shoot your shot, Taj Mahal – Hard way, Tiny Topsy – Just a little bit, Wilson Pickett- Mustang Sally/ In the midnight hour |
The Boogaloo Dance: A Fusion of Styles
The dance that became known as “the Boogaloo” was a vibrant synthesis of various dance styles that had emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was primarily a solo dance, performed to both Latin boogaloo and Soul boogaloo music, although it became more strongly linked to the latter, largely due to the influence of weekly dance programs like American Bandstand and its numerous local and regional counterparts. The appearances of Soul artists on nationally televised programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show further cemented this association and brought Boogaloo into popular culture.
Some of the Boogaloo’s footwork, particularly the “step step triple-step” rhythm, may have been derived from dances like the LA Hop and Chicago Bop. Both of these dances incorporated a similar rhythmic pattern of triple step, triple step, step step (or kick kick), or potentially from the Chicago Triple-Step, which was evolving as a blues dance form at the time.
The smooth and stylish choreography of Motown acts, often crafted by Cholly Atkins, also significantly influenced social dances of the era, including the Boogaloo. Their sophisticated moves were admired for their “cool” and funky aesthetic. Syncopated footwork rhythms and expressive arm movements became hallmarks of these dances, adding to their popular appeal.
The Boogaloo dance, in essence, represented a dynamic fusion of dance styles and movements. It capitalized on the syncopations inherent in the music, encouraging triple-steps, shimmies, and shakes. Several other popular dances of the 1960s, such as the Jerk, the Watusi, the Swim, the Frug, the Skate, the Chicken, and the Pony, contributed percussive elements—jerks, wobbles, bounces—that the Boogaloo readily absorbed and incorporated. Many of these 1960s dances, in turn, drew inspiration from earlier Black dance forms, including the Shimmy, the Black Bottom, Sand Dancing, and various shakes, highlighting a rich lineage of movement and rhythm.
Perhaps the most influential figure in popularizing Soul Boogaloo music and dance was James Brown. He championed Boogaloo as the quintessential dance for 1960s Soul, Motown, and Funk music. Numerous film clips from the 1960s showcase Brown performing the Boogaloo and related dances, demonstrating its energetic and improvisational nature.
For those interested in witnessing more of James Brown’s electrifying performances, a compilation of his appearances and interviews on Soul Train is available online here.
As captured in films from the era, the Boogaloo dance was characterized by energetic triple-steps, often propelled from the side or back, combined with syncopated body rhythms, changes in elevation, and expressive arm movements. Dance shows like American Bandstand frequently featured the Boogaloo, further amplifying its popular reach.
From Boogaloo to Soul Line Dancing
In the 1970s, Soul line dancing began to eclipse Boogaloo in popularity. This shift may have been influenced by evolving trends in Soul music itself, as well as the emergence of the syndicated TV program Soul Train. Soul Train showcased a diverse range of improvised dance movements, contributing to the changing landscape of popular dance.
Electric Boogaloo: A New Dance Emerges
In the mid-1970s, a new dance phenomenon arose: Electric Boogaloo. Danced to Funk music, it incorporated elements of the earlier Boogaloo but integrated popping techniques, creating a distinct style. The term “boogaloo” also resurfaced in the 1990s, associated with a form of breakdancing or hip-hop dancing, demonstrating the name’s enduring appeal and adaptability across different dance forms.
For those eager to delve deeper into the world of Boogaloo, an annotated bibliography of books, articles, and resources is available, offering a wealth of further information and historical context.
