October 23, 2013 Boogaloo Origins Join us as we reveal the origin of the term “Boogaloo” as the root term of From Africa to “Boogie”. It means "devilishly Congo Square, good". However, what is usually left New Orleans out is which African We language and people it comes from. have the Bantu term The term “Boogaloo" has African “Mbugi” is a Congolese word from "Mbuki Mvuki" (Mbuki = to take off roots, but it comes to us via Congo the Ki-Kongo language of the in flight, and Mvuki = to dance Square, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Congo people ie Congo Square! wildly, as if to shake off ones “Boogaloo” stems from the word There is more to this. clothes). "Boogie" or "Boogie Woogie" which Dr. John Tennison, a San Antonio was used to refer to a free flowing psychiatrist, pianist, and The Hausa people were not in form of dance and piano playing musicologist has deciphered 4 more Cuba, but guess where there was a style in the American South during African terms, from various different significant population of ALL of the period around World War 1. languages that all look to be the these African tribes??? You “Boogaloo” over time came to be a origin of the word “Boogie”: The guessed it: slang term for free spirited dancing Hausa, The Mandingo, The Bantu, or getting down. and a tribe from Sierra Leone: Congo Square! Let us begin with the the word We have the Hausa word "Boog" “Boogie”, and follow the steps to and the Mandingo word "Booga", This is why we see the word “Boogaloo” and beyond. both of which mean "to beat (a "boogie" pop up in the American drum)". South, and not Cuba, because the “Boogie Woogie” is a reduplication South is where all the slaves that of “Boogie”, which was used in We have the Sierra Leone had a similar word for music and Rent parties as early as 1913. The originated, West African word dancing in their language were word “Mbugi” is often brought up "Bogi", which means "to dance". congregated. October 23, 2013 Boogaloo Origins Origin of the “Boogaloo” term continued wasn't diggin, how would I 1940's. The team of Ames and From “Boogie know that?" Brent, whose recent performance at "Boogaloo came from Boogie Kennedy Center is available in its Woogie” to Woogie, not Bugalu(shing a entirely online, have also performed ling), boogie woogie pre existed at the Waldorf Astoria in New York “Boogaloo” and also cats used the term and the Republican National boogaloo for there names, not Convention. A CD is in the works.” The following message comes to us just thier art." from the great O.G. Nikos - Nikos `Waveomatic`Birakos http:// `Waveomatic` Birakos (May he rest (May he rest in Peace) www.mswritersandmusicians.com/ in Peace). The following is his musicians/boogaloo-ames.html research on the origins of the “Boogaloo” term. “Boogaloo” The first written documentation of the word "boogaloo" comes from a “The term BOOGALOO comes from Ames letter in Oct. 23, 1939, by Mary J. the term BOOGIE which comes Phillips of Darien, Georgia. from BOOGIE WOOGIE music One of the earliest applications of “Sirs played on the piano as early as the term "boogaloo" seems to 1913. " center on "boogie woogie" pianist I like the explanation of this war "I have examined and cross Abie "Boogaloo" Ames who, given by "Boogaloo" a happy-go- examined left and right, so much, according to the Washington Post's lucky Negro as he talked with my where I found the roots of the term obit, received that nickname in the husband. Here it is. BOOGALOO which pre dates 1940s. BTW, Abie "Boogaloo" Ames "Boss, I tells you what I thinks everyone who has given info on it, was born in rural Georgia (1918). about this here war. Germany, some it came including your own. I found back, she starts a crap game, threw from the BoogieWoogie era, “His piano playing style earned him not the Bugalu era first. If I his nickname "Boogaloo" in the October 23, 2013 Boogaloo Origins The “Boogaloo” trail continues 1)They all refer to a free spirited, collect a dime from the tune Early uses of the happy-go-lucky, or free flowing because Berry Gordy sued the duo person. claiming the song was copyrighted term “Boogaloo” by Motown. This song is significant 2)They all refer to African Americans in that it was the first to introduce the term "Boogaloo" to mainstream threw an eight, then falls off. Now 3)They all refer to people or origins she wants her money back and America. It became a NATIONWIDE in the Southern United States. Not hit in the black community and starts grabbing. The mistake was in Latin America nor in New York. when she first started grabbing not "boogaloo" became part of the knocking H— out of her. "Yes sir, slang vocabulary of young Black Boss, if we fights I go. Ise rather be From Mo-Town people at that time. a slave to my folks than to the Germans.” During this period in Oakland, to Oak-Town California, a new dance movement MARY J. Phillips was born within the Black “Boogaloo" Ames moved to Detroit community. The people borrowed Darien, GA where he worked as a session the slang term "Boogaloo” and player for Berry Gordy in the adopted it for their unique dance http://www.time.com/time/ Motown Studios when Motown was culture. This is where use of the magazine/article/ just beginning . This explains how term “Boogaloo” for the dance 0,9171,772228-1,00.html the "Boogaloo" term made its way originated from. to the midwest, where the R&B Duo This is the earliest usage on record `Tom and Jerry-O` introduced their so far of the word "boogaloo" to hit single ""Boo-Ga-Loo" to a describe someone. Notice in all national audience in 1965. documented recorded cases, they Although the single sold a million have a common theme. copies, Tom and Jerry-O wouldn`t October 23, 2013 Boogaloo Origins The “Boogaloo” trail continues A YEAR later, 1966 in New York America (and was accepted by From “Boogaloo” City, Ricardo Ray (aka Richie Ray) Black Americans as an adaptation and Bobby Cruz, hopped on the of an ALREADY existing "Boogaloo" to “Latin bandwagon and became the first scene). American Bandstand Latin music artists to directly give introduced "Boogaloo" to young Boogaloo”, or the R&B "boogaloo" a Latin rhythm White audiences, not the Black makeover, dubbing it "the bugaloo" community. This fusion was later “Bugalu” for his album, Se Soltó, in order to dubbed "Latin Boogaloo", or win over the black audience in "Bugalú", and was marriage of Cuban rhythms including son montuno, guaguanco, guajira, guaracha, mambo with American R&B, and soul. "Latin boogaloo" also spread throughout the wider Latin music world, especially in Puerto Rico, where top band El Gran Combo released many "Latin boogaloos". Latin music scenes in Peru, Colombia, Panama and elsewhere also embraced the "Latin boogaloo". Cuban rhythms have been well documented for decades...Rhumba, Tango, Son, Bolero, Mambo, Guaricha, etc...Bugalu is nowhere to be found in the Cuban lexicon until more recent years..