Jangle (And Others): A Question....

[Historian]

Jangle, I was just reading your interesting thread, “Wine Gets Better With Age” (the video was truly entertaining, although the lyrics were a bit repetitive) when I saw the following comment you made, “Twerking is now an official word in the Oxford dictionary…..and we Jamaicans weren’t credited with its origination.”

My genuine, really personal question to you is this: Did we Jamaicans invent twerking, and can you provide reasons for your answer?

Boss, I am not asking this question to put you on the spot or to try and start any sort of debate. It’s a question that I privately wondered about in the past, and one for which I genuinely need to know the answer.

You see, there are MANY things that our Jamaican people have never been credited for. One of the most recent ones, in my opinion, is the phrase “It tun up”, or “Tun it up”, etc. This is now a really popular phrase in the region and in parts of North America, where many young people talk easily about “It turn up” or “Turn it up”, etc. I cannot prove it, but I am certain that this now popular phrase originated in dancehall culture, and it bothers me that the world is not aware of this!

Sometimes I get so upset about how our local culture has been used by others worldwide, without any type of credit, that I just feel like crying! No joke, my friend!

But your answer to this question – and the answers from other forum members - is very important to me.

[Mosiah]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=big%20up

I hope this is never forgotten!

[Jangle]

Historian, I am not an expert on the topic, but based upon my experiences, it is my opinion that the Twerking phenomena has its roots in Jamaican Dancehall dances. Your question actually led me to do some research, but I don't have the time to write a long epistle. But in a nutshell, the term Twerking was originated from a southern Hip Hop rapper describing the the style of dancing. Jamaican women were doing these dances from way back in the early 90's and we can trace it back to even much further - Cool n Deadly, Water Pumpy, Rub-a-Dub, Bubbling. The culture was transferred to Bronx NY, through Kool DJ Herc, the godfather of hip-hop. I submit that the American audience got an introduction to the basics of Twerking in the early 90's through the music videos of Shabba Ranks and Patra. They saw ample bottom women shaking their derriere and backing it up. But our ladies have been doing that long before "Do the Dragon Dance" time. Around the same time that Shabba hit the US market with Mr. Loverman, Sir Mix-a-Lot came out with Baby got Back which rightfully paid homage to God's beautiful creation of women's bubble butt. That gave young women the freedom to shake their butts. However, Jamaican women were already at least a decade ahead in shaking their butts and was starting to "bruk out". The Dancehall music, the dance styles, the clothes and the culture are all inseparable, and Shabba brought all of that to the fore during his reign in the 90's.

For Twerking to work, a woman needs to be dressed appropriately to show off her butt. Our women were already dressing provocatively in the dancehalls from a long time. The Ouch Crew set the trend of the Ghetto Fabulous. Those girls looked good. I remember they had their dressmaking shop smack in the middle of HWT. Their mother was a talented dressmaker and they used to fly in and out between Kingston and NY. Out of the Ouch crew came Carlene the Dancehall Queen and the trend, Bare as You Dare Dances and Parties. The culture transferred to NY - Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx. This was the nucleus of Hip Hop. When the Butterfly Dance became popular in Jamaica, it also gained traction amongst young people in the US. Twerking is just a natural progression of many Jamaican dance styles. As I have said here before, the Dancehall culture is very popular amongst the American Hip Hop young people, especially through YouTube.

[Mosiah]

Historian, I am not an expert on the topic, but based upon my experiences, it is my opinion that the Twerking phenomena has its roots in Jamaican Dancehall dances. Your question actually led me to do some research, but I don't have the time to write a long epistle. But in a nutshell, the term Twerking was originated from a southern Hip Hop rapper describing the the style of dancing. Jamaican women were doing these dances from way back in the early 90's and we can trace it back to even much further - Cool n Deadly, Water Pumpy, Rub-a-Dub, Bubbling. The culture was transferred to Bronx NY, through Kool DJ Herc, the godfather of hip-hop. I submit that the American audience got an introduction to the basics of Twerking in the early 90's through the music videos of Shabba Ranks and Patra. They saw ample bottom women shaking their derriere and backing it up. But our ladies have been doing that long before "Do the Dragon Dance" time. Around the same time that Shabba hit the US market with Mr. Loverman, Sir Mix-a-Lot came out with Baby got Back which rightfully paid homage to God's beautiful creation of women's bubble butt. That gave young women the freedom to shake their butts. However, Jamaican women were already at least a decade ahead in shaking their butts and was starting to "bruk out". The Dancehall music, the dance styles, the clothes and the culture are all inseparable, and Shabba brought all of that to the fore during his reign in the 90's.

For Twerking to work, a woman needs to be dressed appropriately to show off her butt. Our women were already dressing provocatively in the dancehalls from a long time. The Ouch Crew set the trend of the Ghetto Fabulous. Those girls looked good. I remember they had their dressmaking shop smack in the middle of HWT. Their mother was a talented dressmaker and they used to fly in and out between Kingston and NY. Out of the Ouch crew came Carlene the Dancehall Queen and the trend, Bare as You Dare Dances and Parties. The culture transferred to NY - Queens, Brooklyn and Bronx. This was the nucleus of Hip Hop. When the Butterfly Dance became popular in Jamaica, it also gained traction amongst young people in the US. Twerking is just a natural progression of many Jamaican dance styles. As I have said here before, the Dancehall culture is very popular amongst the American Hip Hop young people, especially through YouTube.

Is a good ting you is not an expert!

[Jangle]

Damn skippy! I would then argue like DonUno.

[Historian]

Thank You!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=big%20up

I hope this is never forgotten!

Thank You, Mo.

Now this is what I am talking about! I actually wondered in the past whether “big up” originated in Jamaica, but I was never certain.

Thanks for providing the proof. I’m working on a list of popular Jamaican terminology, and so this post has been a big help!

[Historian]

Wonderful Summary!

Historian, I am not an expert on the topic, but based upon my experiences, it is my opinion that the Twerking phenomena has its roots in Jamaican Dancehall dances. Your question actually led me to do some research, but I don't have the time to write a long epistle. But in a nutshell, the term Twerking was originated from a southern Hip Hop rapper describing the the style of dancing. Jamaican women were doing these dances from way back in the early 90's and we can trace it back to even much further - Cool n Deadly, Water Pumpy, Rub-a-Dub, Bubbling.[/FONT]

You have a wealth of information here, Jangle! Good research on a tough topic, boss (I have not bothered to quote all the invaluable information you have above).

I suspect that you are completely correct throughout. I know about DJ Kool Herc’s work in the Bronx, but never linked that era with twerking.

Really appreciate your work/answer!

[Mosiah]

Big up yuhself my yute!

[Gamma]

I think it has it's origins in Africa

[Mosiah]

Indeed!

Mapouka (also macouka) is a traditional dance from the Dabou area of southeast Côte d'Ivoire that originated with the Aizi, Alladian and Avikam people. It is also known as "la danse du fessier" or "the dance of the behind".

The dance is mostly performed by women, shaking their rear end side to side, facing away from their audience, often while bent over.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapouka

[Mosiah]

BOOTY MAPOUKA DANSE VILLAGE TRADITIONAL MOT A MOT: http://youtu.be/_Zw7PCVGYr4

They have been doing this for centuries!

[Mosiah]

Contemporary stuff: DJ MOASCO - MAPOUKA DÔYÔ (CLIP VIDÉO): http://youtu.be/M6OjgK31Yb4

Information supplied by Ivorian bredren.

[Stonigut]

Do we really want credit for twerking, please, the more distance we can get away from that the better.

I actually remember from back in the late 80's I had an African American friend in ny that was fascinated by what he called "ticking" by jamaican girls dancing at parties which is pretty much the same thing, a very intense 'mid body' muscular micro contraction controlled movement.

Give up on tun it up, people have been saying that in parties since the invention of the sound system, when it sounds real good, you naturally say tun it up.

[Jangle]

OK Mosiah, most dances along with civilization can be traced back to Africa, but we don't have to go back so far. I am talking about our Jamaican culture having a direct effect on another culture.

Stoni, we Jamaicans are not benefiting and being credited for having such influences on world culture. Argentina has the Tango, Brazil has the Samba. These are just two dances that have structures and are accepted worldwide and are recognizable. Our culture is being pilfered by others and then handed back to us before we ourselves accept it. Most of these dance styles that originate from our dancehalls are vulgar, until they become mainstream. Look how much money Miley Cyrus made off her twerking what she don't have. If Tessanne Chin had twerked on The Voice, we would have hung our heads in shame, but maybe she would have been a bigger star right now.

[Historian]

Well Stated, Boss!

OK Mosiah, most dances along with civilization can be traced back to Africa, but we don't have to go back so far. I am talking about our Jamaican culture having a direct effect on another culture.

Stoni, we Jamaicans are not benefiting and being credited for having such influences on world culture. Argentina has the Tango, Brazil has the Samba. These are just two dances that have structures and are accepted worldwide and are recognizable. Our culture is being pilfered by others and then handed back to us before we ourselves accept it. Most of these dance styles that originate from our dancehalls are vulgar, until they become mainstream. Look how much money Miley Cyrus made off her twerking what she don't have. If Tessanne Chin had twerked on The Voice, we would have hung our heads in shame, but maybe she would have been a bigger star right now.

I fully share your view, Jangle, and I mean 100 percent. In fact, that is why I started this thread.

I too am sick and tired of seeing and hearing what was created in our small nation being nipped/stolen by other societies, with the result that we get credit for very little of what we have achieved. Yet, the negatives of our society are proclaimed loud and wide and never forgotten!