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The Watusi is indigenous to southern Central Africa. The Watusi was a very popular solo dance done in the early 1960s. In 1962, Ray Barretto released the album 'Charanga Moderna.' The track "El Watusi" reached the Top 20 pop chart in the United States in 1963 and went gold. Its popularity was near that of the Twist dance. In a 1964 TV Guide, Fred Astaire and Barry Chase do the Watusi.
What was leading the way for these dances you ask, the answer is "the Television and SAND." Surfing was becoming extremely popular with the young and sand was replacing the dance floors. This sand would prove the Death Kill to any of the dances that required spinning or traveling while promoting stationary dances such as the Twist, Swim, Surf, Surfer Stomp, Frug, Ska, Watusi,
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| and Monkey. These dancers could basically just stand in place on the beach and dance which lead the way for The Go-Go dancers. And now that Televisions were in most homes, people could watch shows like American Bandstand and learn these dances.
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Birth Place |
Creation Date |
Creator |
Dance Type |
| Philadelphia |
1961 |
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1960's Fad / Dance Craze |
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Posters, Lobby Cards etc. |
Sheet Music Covers |
Music Titles |
| n/a |
n/a |
1962 - El Watusi (Barretto) |
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1962 - Wah-Watusi (Orlons, Miracles) |
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1962 - Wild Watusi (Eddy) |
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1972 - Watusi - Egyptian March (Sun Ra) |
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Bossa Nova Watusi Twist (King) |
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Mambo Watusi (Bloch) |
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Shake It |
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Watusi Boogaloo - (Rosario) |
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Watusi Drums (Brubeck) |
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Watusi Rodeo |
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Watusi, the (Vibrations) |
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Watusi Time (Vibrations) |
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Watusi Walk (Cano) |
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Watusi Zombie (Davis) |
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Night Clubs |
Theaters |
Television |
| Batman A-Go-Go (CA) |
n/a |
American Bandstand |
| Club A-Go-Go |
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Clay Cole Show |
| Peppermint Lounge (NY) |
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Hullabaloo |
| P.J's (CA) |
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Rate the Records |
| Whiskey A-Go-Go (CA) |
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Ready Steady Go! |
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Shindig! |
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Toast of the Town (5/24/1964) #17.33 |
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Films / Movies |
Ballets / Stage |
| 1950 - King Solomon's Mines (shows a Watusi Tribe) |
1980 - Moulin Rouge; Watusi dans frenesie '80 |
| 1959 - Watusi |
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| 1964 - Bikini Beach |
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| 1964 - Get Yourself a College Girl |
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| 1967 Double Trouble (Mary Hughes) |
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| Faster Pussycat! Kill! (Santana) |
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| Flashman (Watusi Music) |
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| Ghost in the Invisible Bikini |
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| Howie Mandell's N. American Watusi Tour |
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Videos |
Publications |
| n/a |
7/22/1950 - Colliers Magazine (article: Watusi Congo King) |
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Other Related Dances of the time... |
| Alligator, the |
Bunny Hop, the |
Finger Poppin' |
Locomotion, the |
Shag, the |
| Bend It , the |
Bus Stop, the |
Fly, the |
Madison, the |
Shampoo, the |
| Big Bea, the (Frug) |
Calypso |
Freddie, the |
Mashed Potato |
Shoulder Shake, the |
| Bird, the |
Cavern Stomp |
Frug, the |
Monkey Bird |
Slop, the |
| Block, the |
Chalypso |
Funky Chicken, the |
Monkey Shine |
Stroll, the |
| Boogaloo, the |
Ching-A-Ling |
Harlem Shuffle, the |
Monkey Stroll |
Surf, The (Frug) |
| Bop, the |
Clam, the |
Hitchhike, the |
Monkey Walk |
Surfer Stomp |
| Bossa Nova |
Clapping Dance |
Hucklebuck, the |
Mule, The |
Swim, The |
| Boston Monkey |
Continental Walk |
Hully-Gully |
Philly Walk |
Thunderbird, the (Frug) |
| Bristol Hop, the |
Dog, the |
Jerk, The |
Pony, the |
Twist, the |
| Bristol Stomp, the |
Duck, the
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Krunch, the |
Rebel Walk |
Ubangi Stomp, the |
| Bug, the |
Elephant Walk, the |
Limbo Rock (Limbo) |
Shadow Walk |
Watusi, the |
| Bump, the |
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Dancers, Choreographers etc. |
Political |
| Go-Go Dancers |
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n/a |
| Fred Astaire |
Barry Chase |
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| Mary Hughes |
Tura Santana, Haji and Lori Williams |
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| Ann Margaret |
Watusi Dancers, the (Toast of the Town) |
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Books, Magazine Articles on the dance... |
| Title |
Author |
Date |
Publisher |
| $
Jazz Dance: The Story of American ... |
Stearns, Marshall |
1994 |
Da Capo Press |
| Joe Bonomo's (Improve Your Dancing step by step) |
Joe Bonomo |
1964 |
~ |
| T.V. Guide |
Staff Writer |
8/29-9/4/1964 |
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Musicians/ Bands |
Singers |
Poets / Writers |
| Dave Brubeck |
Annette Funicello |
n/a |
| Duane Eddy |
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| Eddie Cano |
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| Freddy King |
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| Joey Dee |
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| Davis, Jan |
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| Gene Bloch |
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| Michael Ray |
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| Miracles, the |
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| Neneh Cherry (w/ Jools Holland) |
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| Orlons, the |
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| Peter King |
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| Ray Barretto |
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| Vibrations, the |
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| Willie Rosario & His Orchestra |
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Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches |
| Dance Fads |
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| Dance Crazes |
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| Discotheques |
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| Go-Go Dancers |
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Ballrooms