Conga line

This article is about the international novelty dance. Not to be confused withConga (music).

For other uses, seeConga (disambiguation).

A conga line formed during a Christmasdiscoparty.

Theconga lineis anoveltyline dancethat was derived from theCubancarnivaldance of the same nameand became popular in the US in the 1930s and 1950s. In order to perform the dance, dancers form a long, processing line, which would usually turn into acircle.It has threeshuffle stepson the beat, followed by a kick that is slightly ahead of the fourth beat. The conga, a term sometimes mistakenly believed to be derived from the Africanregion of Congo,is both a lyrical and danceable genre, rooted in the music of carnival troupes orcomparsas.

Origin

The conga dance was believed to have been brought over from Africa by enslaved people in the West Indies,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. DuringGerardo Machado's dictatorship in Cuba,Havanacitizens were forbidden to dance the conga since rival groups would work themselves to high excitement and start street fights. This was not the case whenFulgencio Batistabecame president in the 1940s - he permitted people to dance congas during elections, but a police permit was required.

Description

The conga dance style is more of a march, which is characterized by its distinctiveconga drumrhythm. It differs from theCuban rumba,which uses movements considered "hip"and shows the sensually aggressive attitude of each dancer.Conga musicis played with astaccatobeat as its base, which givesrhythmto 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 basicdance stepsstart from left leg 1-2-3 kick then repeat, opposite. Originally, a band member wearing a drum would venture onto the dance floor and begin zig-zagging around while drumming out the rhythm. Dancers would start joining up behind the drummer, forming a line that moves like a snake in an open circle. The line (or the circular chain) would grow longer and the drumming more intense until it finally stopped. The dance has two styles, which is a single line form and partners. The single line is more popular in Cuba.

Western popularity

Beginning in the late 1930s, the dance became popular in theUnited States;however, in the 1940s, it became very popular due to Hollywood's "Latin" musicals.RKO Pictures' offerings were particularly influential, notablyToo Many Girls(1940), in whichDesi Arnazappeared as a conga-playing Argentine student. Spanish-Catalan bandleaderXavier Cugat,who gave Arnaz his musical start, helped to popularize the dance, but the biggest impact belonged to Arnaz himself.It is prominently featured in the 1941Deanna Durbinfilm,It Started With Eve,in whichDurbinandCharles Laughtondance the dance together in a nightclub.

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 originalLa Conga nightclubopened its doors inManhattan.It is believed that the La Conga was at Broadway and 51st Street.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 inWarner 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 andMexico.One of the earliest and most successful of 20th-century Cuban musical exports, the conga lacked thepolyrhythmicsophistication of theson,mambo,orsalsabut served to nurture the future receptivity of an international public to the wider gamut of Cuban musical styles.

In popular culture

1940 “Too Many Girls” starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

1940 “Strike Up The Band” starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney

In the 1950 Malayan movie entitledTwin Sisters (Kembar?),in the opening scene, a conga line is performed by the guests in a party scene.

The 1955 musical film adaptation ofMy Sister Eileenfeatures a conga line as a recurring gag.

In the 1963 filmBilly Liar,a scene at the Locarno Dance Hall inManchesterfeatures the conga line.

In 1984 the British bandBlack Lacereached number ten in the UK chartswith the song "Do the Conga".

In 1985 the Cuban-American bandMiami Sound Machinereached number ten on the USBillboardHot 100with the song "Conga".

The long-time jingle forDad's Old-Fashioned Root Beeremployed 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 gameTeam Fortress 2,players are able to form conga lines using the in-game emote system.

See also

• Bunny hop
• Letkajenkka
• Polonaise

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.