The Negative Use Of The Term "Buck Dancing": A 2021 Mo Spears Produced Cartoon Video of Stephen A Smith Buck Dancing (Produced By Maurice Spears)

Mo Spears Music, Oct 23, 2021

Produced by Maurice Spears/IG maurice_spears
-snip-
The word "remix" in this video's title means that this is just one of the dissing (insult) animated videos that Maurice Spears produced of  someone singing "Buck dancing". Maurice Spears customized those videos with the same person singing "buck dancing, buck, buck dancing" and with the same cartoon characters, but with the face of different people on the cartoon character's bodies.

Here's his Maurice Spears' pinned 2021 comment from that video's discussion thread:
"If you want your voice remixed into a song like this, message me on Instagram IG maurice_spears for details. I’ll make you your own personal song for a ringtone, podcast, youtube channel etc. All you need to do is record your voice on your phone and email me the file. I’ll even clean up any background noise on the recording."

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a 2021 originally produced, animated dissin' (insult) YouTube video about that documents how some African Americans use the terms "buck dancing" and "buck dancer" as a putdown of another African American..

As background, this post presents an excerpt of a 2023 online article about the controversy between sports commentator Stephen A. Smith and basketball player Kwame Brown.

This post also presents a small sample of comments from that video's discussion thread. Some of these selected comments document the commenter's opinion of this video and its background 'buck dancing song". Other comments include the term "buck dancing" or related terms and/or include some of the lyrics for that "buck dancing" song. One comment in this compilation refers to Stephen A Smith being "clowned" (made fun of ) by this dissin' (insult) animated video. 

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and entertainment purposes.

Thanks to the legacies of past and present African American tap dancers. Thanks also to all those who are associated with this video.
-snip-
This is the second post in an ongoing pancocojams series on African Americans' negative opinions about buck dancing and tap dancing.   

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/why-african-americans-equate-tap.html  "Why African Americans Equate Tap Dancing With Shuckin' And Jivin' & "Uncle Tomming ". That is the first post in that series. 

Click the tags below for other pancocojams videos on this subject.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This pancocojams post and the next pancocojams post about Stephen A Smith focus on documenting a small sample of the numerous online negative comments from African Americans about Stephen A Smith that refer to him buck dancing or tap dancing as a metaphor for him acting like a clown, acting like a fool, and/or "tomming" (supporting former United States president Donald Trump, and/or other White people.

Except as part of those quoted comments, these posts don't include any other references to Stephen A Smith or his political positions. However, for the record, I strongly agree with the many commenters in 2024 who lambasted Steven A Smith for his support of Trump's 2024 presidential candidacy. People who are interested in learning some of the reasons why so many African Americans commenters have such negative opinions about Steven A Smith are encouraged to view these showcased videos and read their discussion threads.

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ARTICLE EXCERPT ABOUT STEPHEN A SMITH AND KWAME BROWN
From https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2023/08/15/stephen-a-smith-viral-kwame-brown-rant-regret-paul-george "Stephen A. Smith Says He Regrets Viral Kwame Brown Rant" written by Madison Williams, August 15, 2023
"ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith is known for his often controversial takes on sports news. But, does he regret any of the takes he’s given over the years?

Clippers star Paul George asked this very question when Smith joined his Podcast P show this week, and Smith quickly knew the answer. One of the videos that continues to come up is his infamous rant about the Lakers trading Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol.

“Kwame Brown, I wish I could do that over, I wouldn’t do it,” Smith said. “I know what I said. I did mean it. I ain’t going to sit here and tell you I ain’t mean the s--- I said, but I didn’t know it was gonna be like this. Remember, I said it before Twitter, Facebook. I didn’t know, 15 years later, they gonna have memes, videos. When I see what he says, I realize how hurt he is.”

[…]

In Smith’s rant about Brown, the ESPN star explained all the reasons he thinks the former NBA player is a “scrub”* and how the city of Los Angeles should be celebrating him leaving in the trade for Gasol.

[…].

Even 15 years later, this rant still gets traction on social media, but it sounds like Smith would rather have that not be the case.”…
-snip-
* Here's an African American slang definition for the word "shrub" from  https://www.dictionary.com/browse/scrub
"scrub=[noun] “Sports. a player not belonging to the varsity or regular team; a player who is not first-string”

[…]

Scrub is slang for someone who is just plain bad at something—a no-talent hack. This could be in sports, video games, or thanks to TLC's hit song, relationships."
-snip-
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_A._Smith for information about Stephen A Smith. That page doesn't include any mention of Stephen A Smith's controversy with Kwame Brown nor does that page mention the huge backlash among African Americans that is still ongoing (as of April 29, 2024) that resulted from Stephen A. Smith appearing on Fox News' Sean Hannity's television program on April 18, 2024 and making comments about why he thought African Americans could relate to Donald Trump being mistreated by the United States criminal justice system.

Click ____ for the pancocojams post about these comments.

**
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Brown for information about Kwame Brown.

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WHAT "BUCK DANCING" MEANS IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS VIDEO
by Azizi Powell, 2024
The term "buck dancing" has a number of different meanings. A relatively new (late 20th/early 21st century?) African American vernacular meaning of "buck dancing" is [verb] "African Americans actually tap dancing and/or African Americans behaving in ways that can be construed as "shuckin and jivin" and/or being an Uncle Tom".

"Buck dancing" is the precursor of "tap dancing". Since at least the beginning of the 21st century, because of black faced minstrelsy, a lot of African Americans have had/still have negative opinions about buck dancing and tap dancing. These negative opinions have resulted in those dance forms being a metaphor among African Americans for a Black person who is "tomming" (acting like an Uncle Tom around and for White people, and particularly rich White people and White people in authority.

As a result, among many contemporary African Americans, saying that a Black person is  "buck dancing" is a short hand way of saying that a Black person is "acting foolishly around White people; and/or "shuckin and jivin" and/or "tomming".  When African Americans use the term "buck dancing", it doesn't have to mean that the person is actually dancing. Instead, this term has the same or a very similar meaning as the contemporary African American meaning of "shuckin' and jivin'.

"Shuckin and jivin" means "to act foolishly [act like a clown] around White people, particularly White people (or other people in authority)"

Read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuckin%27_and_jivin%27  for more information about "shuckin and jivin".

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SELECTED COMMENTS THAT MENTION "BUCK DANCING" AND/OR INCLUDE SOME OF THE LYRICS FOR THIS SONG

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

2021

1. @SELFTALK
"Buck dancing buck buck dancing"
-snip-
This is part of the lyrics for this animated video's song.

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2. @tauriansims7642
"Get back to work get back to work" ️
-snip-
This is part of the lyrics for this animated video's song.

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3. @onlyone23km
"This is a MAJOR club banger! Circa the style of 2005 to 11!"
-snip-
I believe this commenter meant that this song sounds like a major club (nightclub) hit record, and not that it actually was a major hit record..

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4. @darrelljernigan3241
"Mo is a master of the video.  Salute my brotha."

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5. @polanadon6075
"Ooooooo myyyyy lawd, the diiissreeeespect ! Eeeeeeewwwwwwww, ah ee, ewwwwww,  ah ,ee,

Eeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww,

Ah uh ha

Is dis awwww, ooo my goodness, lmfao "

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6. @AlDoubleU
"The 1 dislike was Stephen A Smith himself. Lmfaoo"

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7. @vernamalone958
"BUCK DANCING I like it."

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8. @houseofkungfu2543
"This 2min must of taken hours. Theres so much imagery and catchy sound bites "buck dancin buck dancin" "

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9. @DueceCigarillo
"I can’t wait for the tour!!!! Kwame Brown you a RockStar now!!!!!! #1 Hit Single “Buck Dancin” from the platinum bound album “Momma’s Cookin!” "
-snip-
This comments are facetious. Notice that the commenter wrote "platinum bound" album. Also, notice how the fictitious album title "Momma's Cookin" links the term "buck dancing" to "down home" African American culture. Read comment #11 for another example of that link. 

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10. @spelllegacylikedeath9957
"Prancin’ and buck dancin’"

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11. @persistall
"buck dancin buck dancin. This is the theme from here on out for all them biskut eatin buck dancers!"

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12. @CHERYLRGAY
"HELLO MR. SPEARS.. YOU ARE THE MAN!!!! MR. KWAME BROWN,  TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL..  GOT TO WATCH IT AGAIN..  ON SUNDAY..  I HAVE A REMIX PARTY OF ALL THE MR. MAURICE SPEARS AND MR. KWAME BROWN VIDEOS!!!!"

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13, @oliviarodrigues2323
"Ain't nothin like seeing this fool get clowned like he deserves. Comic RELIEF like WHOA Happy Diwali everyone 🇮🇳"

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14. @DueceCigarillo
"FIRE!!!"

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15. @rasun9169
"Yo this live KWAME need to play this on his live have you sent it to him are self talk"

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16. @brandonroyal1255
"Breh it’s the Daffy Duck that did me in lol"

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17. @TheBrucelee1973
"Not gonna lie but this is actually good lol  funny as hell to"

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18. @rodneyhowell7869
"Yo Maurice. This spear is str88 to the heart  of buck dancer's fe real king . Stephen ass wipe Smith. As we say in the UK 🇬🇧🇬🇧 you are doneeeeee out hereeeeee.str8  BIGGGGGGG tuneee .Str88 outta London UK 🇬🇧5ive-0 Junglist 🇬🇧🇻🇨🇯🇲🇬🇧"

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19. @Deuntae704
"Dope and funny fam"

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20. @bgood2lifealways36
"Kwame, you have really done your homework and research on Stephen A "Snitch" Smith. Just keeping it real, and if you don't believe me, ask Max Kellerman."
-snip-
Mo Spears produced this video, not Kwame Brown. Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Kellerman for information about Max Kellerman.

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21. @AlmightyJio
"I’m the one who asked for this"

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22. @trutherman7848
"hey bro can you make the stephan A dancing in the soultrain line a twitter gif"

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23. @fashawnmathews3299
"Mo spears you have done it again I love it dope beat  hilarious you made my day with the laughter"

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2022

24. @dragonchr15
""Put dem negrow in dey place....you tell em its dey fault!"

 

Best part... lol"
-snip-
The first line in this comment is part of the lyrics to the song that is sung in that animated video.

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25. @lafayettebaker9860
"If I dance to this will it be considered Buck Dancing ?"

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2023

26. @lovelygivan1442
"He's buck dancing all the way to the bank. While Kwame buck dancing in these youtube streets, looking like 7ft farmer that he tries to be but his farming career went the same way as his bsktbl career! DOWN THE DRAIN!"
-snip-
This comment was written in support of Stephen A. Smith. The first word "he" in this comment refers to that television celebrity.

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Reply
27. @terrellewilliams2188
"Good enough to play over 10 years"

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2024

28. @SelahKngdm, March 2024
"Always gotta revisit this classic."

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Why African Americans Equate Tap Dancing With Shuckin' And Jivin' & "Uncle Tomming "

The Tap Love Tour, Oct 8, 2020

I'm a black man making thousands of dollars a year tap dancing.  Does that make me an Uncle Tom?

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video about the African American history of tap dancing that explores why since at least the mid 20th century many African Americans appear to have negative opinions about tap dancing.

My unofficial transcription of that video (based on corrections to the video's captions and auto-generated transcript) is included in this post.

The Addendum to this pancocojams post presents some online definitions of and my comments about "Uncle Tomming", "shuckin' and jivin', and "buck dancing".

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and educational purposes.

Thanks to the legacies of past and present African American tap dancers. Thanks also to all those who are associated with this video.
-snip-
This is the first post in an ongoing pancocojams series on African Americans' negative opinions about buck dancing and tap dancing. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-negative-use-of-term-buck-dancing.html for the second post in this series. The title of that post is "The Negative Use Of The Term "Buck Dancing": A 2021 Mo Spears Produced Cartoon Video of Stephen A Smith Buck Dancing (Produced By Maurice Spears)".

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TRANSCRIPT FOR THIS EMBEDDED VIDEO

Pancocojams Editor's Note- This is my unofficial corrections of the auto-generated transcript in English and my unofficial corrections the captions that appear on that video screen.  This transcript includes changes in words and spelling as well as the addition of punctuation.

Additions and corrections are welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id2GeDaLxiE Shuckin' n Jivin' n Tap Dancin'

[narrator] "My name is Travis Knights and I love to tap dance."

[video clip of Angela Rye and Charlamagne Tha God, 2017, sourced from The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM on YouTube]

Angela Rye-“Oh shout out to the dancers."

Charlamagne Tha God-"I ain't never in my goddamn life. I ain't never had to dance for no White man and my motherf’in life. When you say ”tap dance” to a Black man…

Angela Rye- He’s right. I just took him to a post traumatic stressful place. I apologize”…

[narrator] "Black people of a certain age do not like tap dance."

[video clip of Malcolm X, 1962 speech, sourced from YouTube] “Who taught you to hate yourself from the top of your head to the soles of your feet.”

[narrator] "That is the question at the heart of the problem with the perception of tap dance in the black community. A critical mass of black people who lived in Canada and the United states during the non-violent movement and the Black power movement of the 50s 60s and 70s do not like tap dance. Iin fact, they loathe it.  And they have raised their kids to have that same level of disdain." 

[video clip of Karen Hunter,2020, sourced from the Karen Hunter Show on YouTube] -“I was so disgusted that so many of us don't realize how much power how much sway we have to control not just our own destiny but the destiny of the entire world.”

[Black man] - That’s right.

[Karen Hunter] – and we’ve got to, we’ve got to step into this purpose. No more placating, we ain’t got to tap dance We don’t got to shuck and jive, change our hair, our vernacular, anything. We got everything”.

Narrator- “They perceive it as demeaning. They perceive it as the ultimate metaphor for an Uncle Tom sellout."

[video clip of Jacob Black, Sr, 2020 speaking at outdoor protest rally for Breonna Taylor, sourced from the Hill, YouTube] - “Did you say her name? Don’t come bringin us that shucking and jiving stuff. Nobody’s nobody’s ready for that. We're tired of that. Don't shuck and jiving and bojangles your way across the street”.

[narrator] "He's right.  Tap dance was a key feature in minstrel shows for  over 100 years.  These blackface minstrel shows acted as propaganda that sold the public on the idea that black people were only three-fifths human and we’re still haunted by the ideas that stem from minstrelsy today.

That's not the end of the story though.  Tap dance has always been an African-American art form.  Check this: After the Stone rebellion in 1739 the colonizing slaveholders banned the use of the African drum because it was understood that the Africans were communicating across plantations  with them.  Now without the drums those rhythms were transferred to the feet.  That rhythmic expression called “buck dancing” was the precursor to tap dance,” That rhythmic expression was our link to roots that the colonial human traffickers of the time tried to sever.  The expression of the dance in black spaces helped to form a highly kinetic folk culture. In the post-emancipation era the folk music that was developed in that culture is jazz.

[video clip of Max Roach Interview, sourced from “The Post Archives, on YouTube”] "Well you're absolutely right.  in fact, the earlier drummers like “Papa Joe Jones and Buddy Rich-these guys were tap dancers. And good tap dancers.. I do a little of that. You know you’d see you had to be good and it was good for your feet ‘cause you were dealing with a lot of things.  You see, I heard that these people were dancers and then drummers."

[Dizzy Gillespie quoted in that same video clip] –  "Dancing inspired the music and music inspired the dancing.The best music is music written for dancing because dancing enhances music. Dancing enhances- Lemme write that down please [laughs]”.

[Narrator- “Jazz culture became a major export of the United States much like Hip Hop is today. Knowing all that, how can black people reclaim our history?

How can we acknowledge the past and design a future with a bold sense of agency that would make our ancestors proud?

I don’t know.  I don’t have the answer to that.

But we can start with tap dance.. The form in itself is a treasure trove of black history.  So let's take it back so let's make it ours again.
.
Let’s reconnect to our roots.  Let's really do business with our history.  Let us tell our own stories

The revolution will not be televised."

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ADDENDUM- DEFINITIONS

Additions and corrections are welcome.

WHAT "BUCK DANCING" MEANS IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS VIDEO
by Azizi Powell, 2024
The term "buck dancing" has a number of different meanings. A relatively new (late 20th/early 21st century?) African American vernacular meaning of "buck dancing" is [verb] "African Americans actually tap dancing and/or African Americans behaving in ways that can be construed as "shuckin and jivin" and/or being an Uncle Tom".

"Buck dancing" is the precursor of "tap dancing". Since at least the beginning of the 21st century, because of black faced minstrelsy, a lot of African Americans have had/still have negative opinions about buck dancing and tap dancing. These negative opinions have resulted in those dance forms being a metaphor among African Americans for a Black person who is "tomming" (acting like an Uncle Tom around and for White people, and particularly rich White people and White people in authority.

As a result, among many contemporary African Americans, saying that a Black person is  "buck dancing" is a short hand way of saying that a Black person is "acting foolishly around White people; and/or "shuckin and jivin" and/or "tomming".  When African Americans use the term "buck dancing", it doesn't have to mean that the person is actually dancing. Instead, this term has the same or a very similar meaning as the contemporary African American meaning of "shuckin' and jivin'.

"Shuckin and jivin" means "to act foolishly [act like a clown] around White people, particularly White people (or other people in authority)"

Read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuckin%27_and_jivin%27  for more information about "shuckin and jivin".

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Shuckin and jivin

The Wikipedia page for "shuckin and jivin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuckin%27_and_jivin%27  quotes this definition from the book Ribbin', Jivin', and Playin' the Dozens: The Persistent Dilemma in Our Schools, Herbert L. Foster writes: "Shuckin' and jivin' is a verbal and physical technique some blacks use to avoid difficulty, to accommodate some authority figure, and in the extreme, to save a life or to save oneself from being beaten physically or psychologically".

-end of quote-
As indicated in that quote "shuckin' and jivin' behavior used to be considered by African Americans as a way of surviving the oppressive conditions by pretending to fit the "Sambo"/"Coon" stereotypes about Black people. The character "Stepin Fetchit epitomizes this "shuckin and jivin' behavior. Here's an excerpt from an online article about Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry (May 30, 1902 – November 19, 1985),who created and portrayed "Stepin Fetchit:

Perry was born in Key West, Florida to West Indian immigrant parents.

Perry ran away from home at 14 to join the vaudeville circuit and adopted the stage name of "Stepin Fetchit," taken from his lucky racehorse. Fetchit found his way to Hollywood in the mid 1920s and made his screen debut in The Mysterious Stranger (1927). Fetchit made an immediate impact in Hollywood and very early on in his career was hailed as one of the greatest screen comedians.

Stepin Fetchit's act continued the "trickster" tradition of slaves: outwitting their oppressors by pretending to be slow-witted and lazy, and thereby exploiting whites' sense of superiority. He became a very wealthy man portraying "the laziest human being in the world," the quintessential coon; shuffling, mumbling, slacking an dozing off whenever he could, his heavy eyelids and loose lower lop forever dangling, scratching his shaved head in befuddlement whenever a White actor upbraided or barked orders at him, as they did all the time. 

He was a living cartoon coon--and the animated cartoons of his day often featured a thinly veiled Stepin Fetchit caricature that was hardly more exaggerated than his own shtick. He also spawned a legion of imitators."
-end of quote-
The "Stepin Fetchit" persona was never admired by African Americans except there was that element that it was an act which may have been necessary in those times to survive. However, it seems to me that nowadays most African Americans don't believe that that act is needed anymore. And we look down on Black men and Black woman who "shuck and jive" around White people for their own self-aggrandizement.        

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Tomming [being an Uncle Tom; Uncle Tomming"
From https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Uncle%20Tom
"Uncle Tom
noun
disparaging : a Black person who is overeager to win the approval of whites (as by obsequious behavior or uncritical acceptance of white values and goals)

disparaging : a person who is overly subservient to or cooperative with authority

Uncle Tomming

intransitive verb

disparaging

to behave like an Uncle Tom"
-snip-
It used to be routine for African Americans to use the term "Aunt Jemima" as a referent for Black females who acted like "Uncle Toms". That "Aunt Jemima" referent is still used, but it seems to me that since at least the early 21st century, "Uncle Tom" has also been used as a referent for Black females.

A person who is tomming (acting like an Aunt Jemima) puts their wellbeing over any considerations for or about other Black people. 

A person who is "tomming" may also shuck and jive, but there are other more "white collar"/sophisticated" ways of tomming than acting like Stepin Fetchit character. 

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Videos Of Congolese Rumba Music & Dance By Four Of Congolese Rumba's Greatest Artists

Chubb Dandy's, April 15, 2021Only Uploading To Hopefully Help Out The Film And Spread The Word! -snip-
The narration in this video is in French and the captions in this video are in English. 

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on Congolese rumba music and dance.

This pancocojams post showcases five videos of Congolese rumba music and dance. The first video is a trailer for a film about Congolese rumba. The remaining videos showcases four of Congolese rumba's greatest artists (given in no particular order: Franco, Pepe Kalle, Fally Ipupa,
and Koffi Olomide.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/some-of-history-of-congolese-rumba.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents two YouTube videos about the history of the Congolese rumba music and dance.

This post also includes some information about Congolese rumba from a reprint of an online article, from the transcription of one of these showcase videos, and from the comments from the discussion thread of one of these showcase videos. 

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all these Congolese artists who are showcased in this video for their musical legacies. Thanks to all those who are associated with these YouTube videos that are embedded in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/cuban-rumba-guaguanco-music-and-dance.html for a related pancocojams post entitled "Cuban Rumba Guaguanco Music And Dance (information & Videos)".

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS

Except for Video #1, these videos are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #1
This video which is embedded at the top of this post is a trailer about Congolese rumba. 

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Pepe Kalle LA RUMBA Huge Success In Africa

manachester11, Mar 27, 2009

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Fally Ipupa - Eloko Oyo (Clip officiel)



Fally Ipupa, Apr 7, 2017
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from an article about this record:
https://www.afrovibes.com/articles/2019/04/26/fally-ipupa-eloko-oyo/ "New Music: Fally Ipupa - Eloko Oyo", by Adeyemi A.  April 26, 2019
"Eloko oyo,” meaning "here it is," is a word from the Lingala (or Ngala) language native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo. The song, "Eloko Oyo,” was originally released by the Congolese icon, Mabele Elisi, who has inspired several people through his musical talent - one of those people is Fally Ipupa. Fally Ipupa is a popular Congolese singer-songwriter and producer who modified the song and released a completely different version of “Eloko Oyo” in 2017.

Throughout the song, Fally Ipupa expresses his achievements and the good works he has been able to achieve through music. Fally Ipupa’s version of the song quickly became popular so we thought to share the lyrics and the song’s meaning"..
-snip-
This article continues with this song's lyrics and their English translations.
-snip-
People from the Congos and other Africans, please excuse my ignorance, but is the dancing in this Fally Ipupa - Eloko Oyo (Clip officiel) a form of Congolese rumba? If not, what type of dancing is it?

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4- Koffi Olomide - Andrada (Clip Officiel)

KINDULE, Jan 10, 2019

"Andrada" issu de l'album "V12" de Koffi Olomidé sorti en 1995.
-snip-
Click https://www.facebook.com/LingalaAndRhumbaKenyaFans/posts/koffi-olomide-andradatcha-tcho-eza-mayi-ehtchatcho-is-waterle-roi-de-betesthe-ki/1262078417136317/ Lingala and Rhumba Kenya Fans,  June 11, 2016 for lyrics to this song in Lingala with English translation.

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SHOWCASE #5 - Franco & Le TP OK Jazz - Mario (English subtitles)

Pan African Music, Oct 10, 2019

Pensez à activer les sous-titres pour avoir les paroles ↗️ Nous sommes à la Cité de La voix du Zaïre, où sont regroupées la radio et la télévision du pays. Franco est au studio Maman Angebi, qui porte le nom d’une grande dame de la télévision zaïroise. Il est l’invité de la célèbre émission « Variété Samedi Soir ».

Présenté par Lukunku Sampu, vedette de la télévision zaïroise (une sorte de Michel Drucker, pour le public français). Le tube Mario (une quinzaine de minutes) est sorti en 1985 et ce live à la télé peut-être de la même année, sinon de 1986. C’est peut-être le moment où Franco présente le Madilu, confirmé comme chanteur majeur du groupe à Bruxelles un peu auparavant.

Mario, tout le monde a chanté son nom, fredonnant l’air de la chanson, aux quatre coins du continent. Ceux qui ne parlent pas lingala ont retenu le nom, mais bien peu en ont compris le sens. Mario est une manière de gigolo qui vit aux crochets d’une femme qui a réussi et l’entretient. Mais elle se plaint de lui : de ses abus, de son machisme (alors qu’il vit à ses dépens) de sa brutalité et de son irresponsabilité. C’est les reproches de cette femme fatiguée (na lembi, en lingala) qui sont au cœur de la chanson. Madilu lui prête sa voix. Quant à Franco ici, il admoneste Mario et se fait l’interprète de la malheureuse. 

Qui est Mario ? Il y a eu beaucoup de spéculations. Franco ayant été le peintre de la société, nombreux sont ceux qui ont cru reconnaître des connaissances ou des célébrités. Mais comme personne ne savait clairement qui était ce gigolo que l’on dénonce, Franco a laissé grandir le suspense, ce qui a créé ce qu’on appellerait aujourd’hui « le buzz » : mais qui est donc Mario ?

Traduit pour PAM par Kerwin Mayizo.
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Google translate from French to English:
"Remember to activate the subtitles to have the words ↗️ We are at the Cité de La Voix du Zaire, where the country's radio and television are grouped. Franco is at the Maman Angebi studio, which bears the name of a great lady of Zairian television. He is the guest of the famous show “Variété Samedi Soir”.

Presented by Lukunku Sampu, star of Zairian television (a sort of Michel Drucker, for the French public). The hit Mario (around fifteen minutes) was released in 1985 and this live on TV perhaps from the same year, if not 1986. This is perhaps the moment when Franco presents Madilu, confirmed as a major singer of the group in Brussels a little before.

Mario, everyone sang his name, humming the tune of the song, in the four corners of the continent. Those who do not speak Lingala have remembered the name, but few have understood its meaning. Mario is a sort of gigolo who lives off and supports a successful woman. But she complains about him: his abuse, his machismo (while he lives at her expense), his brutality and his irresponsibility. It is the reproaches of this tired woman (na lembi, in Lingala) which are at the heart of the song. Madilu lends him his voice. As for Franco here, he admonishes Mario and acts as the unfortunate woman's interpreter.

Who is Mario? There has been a lot of speculation. Franco having been the painter of society, many people thought they recognized acquaintances or celebrities. But as no one clearly knew who this gigolo that was being denounced was, Franco let the suspense build, which created what we would call today “the buzz”: but who is Mario?

Translated for PAM by Kerwin Mayizo.

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Congolese Rumba: From The Congo to Cuba And Back To The Congo (videos & information)

Bigckson, Aug 27, 2019  #fally #koffi
-snip-
This video has French narration and French captions.

The summary to this video that is given in French followed by an English translation is presented below along with its Google translate results (from French to English). 

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on Congolese rumba music and dance.

This pancocojams post presents two YouTube videos about the history of the Congolese rumba music and dance.

This post also includes some information about Congolese rumba from a reprint of an online article, from the transcription of one of these showcase videos, and from the comments from the discussion thread of one of these showcase videos. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/youtube-videos-of-congolese-rumba-music.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases five videos of Congolese rumba music and dance.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are associated with these YouTube videos that are embedded in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/cuban-rumba-guaguanco-music-and-dance.html for a related pancocojams post entitled "Cuban Rumba Guaguanco Music And Dance (information & Videos)".

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THE SUMMARY STATEMENT OF THE VIDEO THAT IS EMBEDDED AT THE TOP OF THIS POST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw0n3BMib1I&t=515s

La source de la rumba congolaise

Bigckson, Aug 27, 2019  #fally #koffi
"La ” Nkoumba ” appelée plus tard à Cuba Rumba est une danse de nombril qui prend sa source en l’Afrique Centrale, plus précisément dans le Royaume Kongo et en République Centrafricaine chez ” Mbati “, un groupe ethnique du sud ouest du pays. En ” Mbati “, tout comme en ” Moukongo “, ” Nkoumba ” désigne le nombril. Chez les “Bakongo” groupe ethnique situé au sud du Congo Démocratique de l’Angola et chez les ” Mbati ” de Centrafrique, la danse de nombril est une expression folklorique charnelle permettant à un couple de danseurs de se produire nombril contre nombril.

Lorsque les esclaves noirs Africains débarquent à Cuba il y a 5 siècles avec la danse ” Nkoumba “, le colonisateur Espagnol supprime l’Africanité de cette expression culturelle, populaire et la baptise Rumba pour l’approprier. Du point de vue linguistique, Cuba conserve à ce jour plusieurs mots d’origine Africaine, et ce en dépit de nombreuses transformations constatées dans l’héritage culturel des anciens esclaves. La Rumba conserve à ce jour quelques mots bantou et yoruba dont on entend dans certaines chansons Cubaines. Lorsque la Rumba est revenue en Afrique entre les années 40 et 50, après avoir été longtemps un moyen d’expression artistique et de revendication des noirs qui dénoncent l’injustice dont ils sont victimes à Cuba, elle a été réappropriée par les Africains. Avec l’évolution du temps, les musiciens Africains intègrent leur folklore dans ce riche patrimoine culturel et l’enrichissent d’autres courants musicaux.#koffi #fally"
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Google translate from French to English
"The “Nkoumba” later called in Cuba Rumba is a navel dance which has its source in Central Africa, more precisely in the Kongo Kingdom and in the Central African Republic among “Mbati”, an ethnic group in the southwest of the country. In “Mbati”, just like in “Moukongo”, “Nkoumba” designates the navel. Among the “Bakongo” ethnic group located in the south of the Democratic Congo of Angola and among the “Mbati” of Central Africa, the navel dance is a carnal folkloric expression allowing a couple of dancers to perform navel to navel.

When black African slaves arrived in Cuba 5 centuries ago with the “Nkoumba” dance, the Spanish colonizer removed the Africanness from this popular cultural expression and named it Rumba to make it his own. From a linguistic point of view, Cuba retains to this day several words of African origin, despite numerous transformations noted in the cultural heritage of former slaves. Rumba retains to this day some Bantu and Yoruba words which we hear in certain Cuban songs. When Rumba returned to Africa between the 1940s and 1950s, after having long been a means of artistic expression and protest by blacks who denounced the injustice of which they were victims in Cuba, it was re-appropriated by Africans. With the evolution of time, African musicians integrate their folklore into this rich cultural heritage and enrich it with other musical trends.#koffi #fally"

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A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ABOUT CONGOLESE RUMBA
From https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/nkumba-rumba-rich-intangible-cultural-heritage-congos "From Nkumba to Rumba: the Rich Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Congos
"The often-untold story of Congolese rumba displays how resilient Africans have shown to been through adversity.

25 March 2022

Last update:20 April 2023

Rumba or “nkumba” (navel in kikongo) in its original form, describes the joining and rubbing of the navels, a dance which marked the celebrations for the populations of the Kingdom of Kongo (which extended over what we know today as Angola, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Modern Congolese Rumba, however, is much more than a simple dance or musical style. It embodies the creativity, spirit, philosophies, and culture of the Congolese. It is the legacy of slaves, forced to leave their country for the Americas with nothing but their essence to connect them to the continent. It is the product of a back-and-forth between the two Congos and Cuba, and later a cry for the liberation movements.

It is to the sound of Le Grand Kallé’s “Independence cha cha” that most Congolese celebrated their independence. The song, which was largely broadcasted in the 1960s recounts the events that preceded the independence process. Viewed as one of the first Pan-African hits and Congolese rumbas, this song embodies the power and importance of Congolese Rumba throughout history. Congolese rumba has also helped bridge the gap between the two Congos, strengthening their cultural identities while paving the way for the creation of other musical styles.

More recently, Congolese rumba, with its undeniable contribution to music worldwide but also to Pan-African values and African memory, has been recognized by UNESCO as World Intangible Cultural Heritage. This nomination promises to be a big step forward in bringing Congolese rumba to light, fostering employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in the music industry as well as the transmission of cultural values in the region.”

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Rumba Music History - African Music History and Culture

Rhythm In Africa, Mar 22, 2021

Welcome to the first African Rumba music lesson... Enjoy
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The narration in this video and the caption feature for this video are in English. 

Here's an almost complete* "as is" version of the auto-generated transcription for this video, given without timestamps and with punctuations that I added and corrected spelling as well as a few words that are given in brackets that clarify the narrator's statements. Although I prefer the referent "enslaved people" to the referent "slave", I didn't change that word in this transcription. I also retained the word "uh" and other such words in this "as is" form of that transcription.  

*I didn't include the blogger's request that people subscribe to his channel, although I did subscribe and recommend that people interested in this subject also do so.

Additions and corrections are welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMRZ5DAkWgo

"Intro

Hello everyone. Welcome to Rhythm in Africa and the first African rumba episode.

Let's roll.

So rumba is associated with dancing because of the culture where there's almost no distinction between the performers and the consumers or the fans of the music. So this means whenever the music is performed, everyone is performing. And everyone is dancing because they believe that every single person has musical talent. So everyone would be able to dance because this collective participation in
music involved babies that would be at their mother's backs while they're dancing or even in their mother's wombs.

Okay,  so let's go back to the Afro-Cuban culture beginning now. So during the trans-Atlantic slave trade that lasted over 200 years. Uh a wide range of ethnic groups were brought into Cuba and [it] is this random groupings of Africans uh African slaves uh that led to a culture which was called the Afro-Cuban culture. And is this culture that created what we call rumba music.

The origin of Rumba

So what made Cuba unique was its laws that allowed slaves to work for their masters until they could buy their freedom. So this means [that] almost no one was born into slavery which means Cuba had to keep on importing slaves from Africa up to 1885, a year before the abolishment of the slave trade. So there were many slaves who had just been recently shipped from Africa to Cuba. 

And, instead of getting more into the slave communities of Cuba,  they were more inclined to go back to Africa to their friends and families. And it's this particular group of Africans who brought rumba from Cuba back to Africa. So rumba is [has] a very strong African essence since it was developed by former African slaves.

So when it got to Africa, it caught on very quickly and rapidly spread across Africa to become the most uh played music in sub-Saharan Africa.

Banning Rumba

Interestingly. in the 2000s there were attempts by the Angolan, Kenyan, and Congolese governments to abolish rumba because of its lyrics and dances which were viewed to be culturally incorrect or immoral. So laws were enacted to ban any radio and tv stations from playing rumba, but this had an opposite effect because you know how people are - the more something is banned, the more interesting it becomes.  And then rumba spread even more across Africa. 

So a key feature of rumba is the use of plain speech usually done in a deep voice like "Loi" popularized by Koffi Olomide and also plain speech done in a loud announcement type of way.

So African rumba dancing can be done solo or with a partner just like Cuban rumba. But [it] is mostly choreographed involving large groups of people because of the culture remember. And these people are usually wearing matching clothing.

So some rumba greats include Franco, Pepe, Wenge Musica, Fally Ipupa,  and a lot more. And not forgetting of course Koffi Olomide, who's been a huge influence in shaping and Africanizing rumba and also up bringing a lot of rumba and I mean rumba artists into the rumba scene. And and I wonder why Koffi Olomide seems like he always has things in his pocket. Uh if someone knows please put it in the comments.

Okay, so let's go to the music now

[Music]

Outro

So in the next rumba episode we'll look at the theory behind African rumba music and how the 
instruments are played and what instruments are used and all that."...
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Here are all of the comments that have been published as of this date [April 26, 2024] on this video's discussion thread. Numbers have been added for referencing purposes only:

1.@BrothaEnock, 2021
"There’s a difference between rumba, soukous, & ndombolo"

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Reply
2. @RhythmInAfrica, 2021
"That's true. Will make another Rumba episode and add that. Thanks."

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3. @jayobrienKM, 2022
"Did you realize that you named literally all Congolese artist and you didn’t simply highlight that African Rumba is from Congo 🇨🇩 Credit should be given where it’s due"

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Reply
4. @RhythmInAfrica, 2022
"True, I didn't realize that."

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5. @YotamPiano, 2023
"VERY interesting. I have known for some time about the Cuban Rumba and its African origin but had NO idea it was brought back to Africa by former slaves! Going to watch the next episode now :)"

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6. @RBB8S, 2023
"Beginning in the 1940s, Afro-Cuban [son] groups such as Septeto Habanero and Trio Matamoros gained widespread popularity in the Congo region as a result of airplay over Radio Congo Belge, a powerful radio station based in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa DRC). A proliferation of music clubs, recording studios, and concert appearances of Cuban bands in Léopoldville spurred on the Cuban music trend during the late 1940s and 1950s."

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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

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