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The Real Candy Dance is From Jamaica!

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Reggae Music and Jamaica is renowned for their influences upon the World and both lead the way for worldwide creativity. Often you may listen to a new Beyonce song and hear an influence of Dancehall. Or your latest Pop Artist singing with a slight Jamaican twang but sadly the creators of such magical creations are never given full credit. It is well know within the Hip Hop and Rap Industry that Producers sample Reggae Music be it old school or new school and place it within the latest twerking, joint popping, hip moving song.

So what’s this about the Candy Dance I hear you say? Well…

The Queen of Reggae, the Beautiful Marcia Griffiths who is mostly know worldwide for being one of the I Threes who preformed with Bob Marley, sang the hit song Electric Boogie, released in 1982 which created the Electric Slide Dance.

The song was written by Bunny Wailer, one of the original members of The Wailers and the song was created after Marcia purchased a small Piano Keyboard. When speaking to Reggae Britannia during her UK Legend of Reggae May 2016 Tour, she said whilst in Canada she fell in love with this Piano Keyboard, “It was a Keyboard with every beat and every different sound.” Upon showing the Keyboard to Bunny Wailer who too was impressed, she let him hear a rhythm on the Keyboard called “The Repeater.” Upon hearing it Bunny created the Electric Boogie song and Marcia recorded the song in the Studio.

princess pyhia and marcia griffithsThe song being called the Electric Boogie required a dance which then created the “Electric Slide Dance.” The Electric Slide Dance became extremely popular in America and sent an Electric Slide Dance crazy all over the world. Due to the popularity of the dance a video to the song was created and televised worldwide.

In 1999 however, the movie, The Best Man featuring famous actors such as Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs and Nia Long, was released with the story line surrounding the lead up to a African American Wedding filled with suspicion, jealousy and affairs. Towards the end of the movie the wedding takes place and in celebration, the last scene of the movie is the Bride, Groom and their guests doing the Electric Slide to the American Soul Funk group, Cameo famous song, “Candy.”

This scene in the movie had such an impact all over the world, that it caused the original “Electric Slide Dance” to be renamed and called the, “Candy Dance.”

The Dance has become a some what of a ritual and at every party the Electric Slide Dance is performed by every guest member (who knows how to do the dance) to the Cameo Candy Song.cameo-candy-303125

But why has the Queen of Reggae, Marcia Griffiths not been given credit for her amazing achievement and why has Jamaica, a creator of many well known dances, not too been highlighted?

It is because the dance originally was a product of the small Island, Jamaica therefore rendering its contributions insignificant? And why are more DJ’s within the Caribbean Community not bringing this musical knowledge to the forefront each time the so called Candy Dance is performed? Or is it simply that they too were unaware of this musical fact?

Too often pioneers within the Black Community are not recognised for their achievements that they have brought to their communities and countries.

There seems to be a common misconception that someone else will highlight these type of important achievements for us which often result in them being lost.

Is it time we start researching and recording our own achievements within our own community and show recognition to those who have paved the way for us? What do you think?

Watch the official video of Marcia Griffiths – Electric Boogie (Electric Slide)!!!

ARTICLE BY PRINCESS PYHIA – JOURNALIST FOR REGGAE BRITANNIA. @REGGAEBRIT @PRINCESSPYHIA

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