Creator Chats: Embodying the fusion and spirit of boogaloo with Main Man Matt and Bendji Allonce
Sometimes stylized as bugalu, boogaloo is both a dance and musical genre developed by and for black and brown communities.
Ironically and devastatingly, the term 'boogaloo' was co-opted by far-right and anarchist groups including right-wing militias and "patriot groups" on social media as a thinly veiled code for a race-based or civil war. These discussions which often exist in the form of memes and anonymous posts on 4Chan, Reddit, and Facebook groups are critical of the government, encourage violence and armed resistance, and often employ racist and xenophobic language.
We see this as an opportunity to remind the music community of the true origins and roots of the term and movement of boogaloo. And candidly, to highlight the ignorance of the co-optation. As NPR says, "Boogaloo is not a culture war, but rather a cultural bridge that's experiencing a resurgence."
There is some debate over where and by whom the term and style originated—all theories dating back to either the 1950s or '60s. Some scholars say that boogaloo's origins can be traced to Bogalusa, La., where the Deacons for Defense and Justice confronted the Klu Klux Klan in the mid-'60s and potentially inspired James Brown, who toured the South on the Chitlin Circuit and could have named a dance and his 1966 single "Boogaloo" after the city.
NPR describes boogaloo as "a mixture of Latin styles, such as mambo, cha-cha, and pachanga with doo-wop and soul. And it's upbeat and easy to dance to — a freeform dance where bodies jerk in time to the music. Elbows and arms are thrown to the sides or over the shoulders, and dancers are free to add as much fancy footwork as they can."
We spoke to this pack's creators, Main Man Matt and Bendji Allonce, about their connection to the diaspora movement, the Diaspora label, and the sounds they made for this collection.
Keys player Main Man Matt shared, "These sounds are an opportunity to allow the music to take you to the places of the diaspora - the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and beyond. Bugaloo is a fusion of Latin and soul music, and I'm a part of that fusion. My grandparents migrated to New York City in the 1950s. Bugaloo is a soundtrack of the city and what was going on at the time. The style is not just a timepiece, it’s something engrained in the culture. These are the stories I carry and the stories I’m bringing as I’m arranging and playing these instruments."
Percussionist Bendji Allonce added, "Growing up and into my adult years, I got really into the Nuyorican sound, which is pretty much boogaloo. It was a joy to return to those rhythms with Diaspora."
The Nuyorican movement is a cultural and intellectual movement involving NYC-based poets, writers, musicians, and artists who are Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent. It originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s in neighborhoods such as Loisaida, East Harlem, Williamsburg, and the South Bronx as a means to validate Puerto Rican experience in the United States, particularly for poor and working-class people who suffered from marginalization, ostracism, and discrimination.
Matt explained, "Being able to tell the story right musically. Playing the music of diaspora, there's so much that’s involved - so many rhythms and styles of music. If you emphasize one beat, you’re not playing a style of music. There's a lot of debate around what sounds belong to which styles."
This pack is a special invitation to step into a world that once defined how people lived. This collection embodies the fusion and the spirit that boogaloo is about; just look at the sample titles such as "Fried neck bones and some home fries". Allonce says, "When you hear this pack, you're hearing the story of New York. You're hearing the funk-soul with the Latin sound. I feel strongly in anyone in wanting to explore and expand their creativity to download this pack."
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