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-The
Watusi is COLOR=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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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.
|
Birth Place |
Creation Date |
Creator |
Dance Type |
| Philadelphia |
1961 |
|
1960's
Fad / Dance Craze |
|
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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| 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
|
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 |
|
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
Published |
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 |
~ |
| 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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