Nuyoricans', African Americans', & Other Folks' Memories Of Joe Cuba's Hit 1966 Boogaloo Record "Bang Bang" ("Beep Beep Ah")- Part II: Video & Comments

Fania Records, Oct. 2, 2014

Joe Cuba's "Bang Bang" was originally released on the album "Bang! Bang! Push,Push, Push" in 1966 and was composed by Joe Cuba and Jaime Sabater. La Canción "Bang Bang" de Joe Cuba salió al mercado por primera vez en el álbum "Bang! Bang! Push,Push, Push" en 1966, y fue compuesta por Joe Cuba y Jaime Sabater.... -snip- Total # of views - 146,028 as of Feb. 12, 2022 at 1:11 PM -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/02/ah-beep-beep-rhymes-chants-with-or.html for a closely related pancocojams post entitled " "Ah Beep Beep" Rhymes & Chants With Or Without The Word "Ungawa" "
The "Ah Beep Beep" portion of these rhymes and chants have their source in that hit record.
****
Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update: Feb. 13, 2022

This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series about the 1966 Boogaloo song "Bang Bang" (also known by its refrain "Beep Beep Ah").

This post showcases a song file of YouTube sound file of  Joe Cuba's 1966 hit song "Bang Bang" and presents a compilation of selected comments from that sound file and from another sound file of that song.

I'm particularly interested in comments from Puerto Rican (Nuyoricans)* and African Americans about their memories of Joe Cuba's "Bang Bang" in New York City and in other United States cities. Because the referent "Nuyorican" is relatively unfamiliar, I've included some informationi about it in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/02/joe-cubas-1966-hit-boogoloo-song-bang.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube sound file of Joe Cuba's 1966 hit song "Bang Bang". Information about Joe Cuba is included in this post along with lyrics for that song.

Information about Boogaloo music and dance is also included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/02/three-youtube-videos-about-afro-latin.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III showcases three YouTube videos about Latin Boogaloo music and dance, with a focus on the 2015 film documentary "The Story Of Latin Boogaloo": We Like I Like That". Information about that documentary is also included in that post.   

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Joe Cuba and other members of his band for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT NUYORICANS
From https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/applied-and-social-sciences-magazines/nuyoricans#:~:text=The%20term%20Nuyorican%20refers%20to,the%20island%20of%20Puerto%20Rico.&text=But%20it%20was%20rapidly%20adopted,youth%20of%20Puerto%20Rican%20extraction. [retrieved Feb. 12, 2022]
"The term Nuyorican refers to Puerto Ricans born or raised in New York City, or more broadly in the mainland United States, as distinguished from those from the island of Puerto Rico.

[…]

 Nuyorican in its present spelling and usage emerged in the early 1970s in part as a reaction to this negative characterization. The founding of the Nuyorican Poets’ Café on New York’s Lower East Side in 1973 and the publication of the anthology Nuyorican Poetry in 1975 were the major events in this historical emergence, in both cases resulting from the collaboration between writers Miguel Algarín and Miguel Piñero. But it was rapidly adopted by many other writers, artists, and other New York–born youth of Puerto Rican extraction.

[…]

In more recent times some objections to the usage have emerged because of the dispersal of U.S.-based Puerto Ricans and the emergence of significant communities in other places, notably Philadelphia, Chicago, Florida, and other cities in the Northeast such as Hartford, Connecticut; Jersey City, New Jersey; and Springfield, Massachusetts. Though no new word has arisen to replace the geographically specific Nuyorican, some writers and others have toyed with such neologisms as diasporican and AmeRícan, the latter a signature poem by well-known writer Tato Laviera. Terms clearly modeled after Nuyorican, such as ChicagoRican and PhillyRican, have also cropped up, as has nomenclature such as Dominican Yorks and MexYorks to name newer Latino groups in New York City. In more recent times, change is also evident even in Puerto Rico, …: The diaspora cultural experience has gained greater acceptance, receiving frequent coverage in the media and cultural institutions, though often still in reluctant or paternalistic terms. Among the youth on the island, many of whom are from families of return migrants who were raised on the mainland, Nuyorican has come to be a term of strong admiration and even emulation. Significantly, Old San Juan now boasts the Nuyorican Café among its cultural nightspots. In the days of hip hop, reggaetón, and spoken-word poetry, the long-standing gap between island and diaspora cultural realities has finally come to narrow, and the ironic, deeper meaning of the highly charged expression Nuyorican to come full turn."

****
SELECTED COMMENTS

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

Excerpt #1 [This is the video that is embedded in this post.]
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2-QEVRlfs8&ab_channel=FaniaRecords

1. D. Garcia, 2016
"love this song !!! Aaawww beep,beep...Awww,beep,beep.....Aaaww beep,beep ....Cornbread, hog maws and chitlins....Lechon,lechon !!!!"
-snip-
"Lechon" is Spanish for "piglet". Hog maws and chitlins are made from pork (pig).

**
2. SagesseNoir, 2018

"A Latin song that was wildly popular among Afro-American teen agers of 1966. Beep beep!"

**
Reply
3. jsamc, 2019
"sho was !!"

**
Reply
4. Vincent Youell, 2019
"Yup, especially in East LA"

**
Reply
5. Sean, 2019
"And a lot of white NYC folks too"

**
Reply
6. Maurice Marshall, 2020
"Can you blame us " Corn bread, hogmaw , and chitlins" soul food rundown is in the chorus "sock it to me " Beep, beep haaaa""

**
Reply 
7. Maurice Marshall, 2020
"@Sean  Yeah this is very New York ( where Salsa was created )  South Bronx."

**
Reply
8. Meemee, 2020
"Detroit, 12th grade. YES!!!"

**
9. SagesseNoir, 2018
"I normally think of corn bread, hog maw and chitlins as traditional southern black cuisine, and yet here's a  great Latin song.  referring to this food. Maybe there's an affinity between Latin and African cultures."

**
Reply
10. Sabra Townsend, 2018
"Of course there is.   Afro-Cuban, bay-beeeeee!!"
-snip-
Actually, "Joe Cuba" was a stage name. Joe Cuba and his band members were Puerto Ricans in New York City (Nuyorican)

**
Reply
11.SagesseNoir, 2018
"Alllllrrrright!"

**
Reply
12. Afi Scruggs, 2019
"@SagesseNoirThis is Latin Bogaloo which was a fusion that came out of New York. That's why it refers to corn bread, hog maw and chitlins. Check out the documentary on the music."

**
13. Ramon Rodriguez, 2018
"B B . . . bang bang . . . Hanky Panky with Joe . . . bad ass ! ! !"
-snip-
"Hanky Panky with Joe" is ab lib line from Joe Cuba's "Bang Bang" record that isn't included in the online lyrics that I've found for that song.

**
14. Emmie Laure, 2019
"PBS special on tonight celebrating Hispanic culture & I here "ah, beep beep-bang bang"! oh the memories...brought me right back to N.Y. city projects with all the boogaloo street music  The steel drums, maracas, & the bare foot dancing! I feel privileged to have grown up in that time. Ordered the cd tonight-will be dancing on my street soon!"

**
15. J Sabano, 2021
"This reminds me of  the Bronx, when the graffitti was on walls, trains, handball courts and even the 42nd Precinct! lol! This song would play, at  some point, from someone's window, car, barber shop or bodega every summer! Memories of piraguas, coquito's, local slice and soda specials, and bodega runs for chico sticks and quarter waters, just before we hit the ghetto water park (aka: open fire hydrant) flash in my minds eye! I miss those days... and now I officially feel old...!!!"

**
16. Tony Cortina, 2020
"This was the first song I ever heard. Born in Manhattan than lived near Yankee Stadium in the 60’s. Lots of Puerto Rican/Spanish/ and Black Folks mixed with us Jewish Kids. And I love this song. Times were so much happier than and different. Now my kids listen to it. Beep Beep"

****
Excerpt #2 [This is the video that is embedded in Part I of this pancocojams series.]
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MenOmqIBmIM&ab_channel=chinita41

1. puchie82766, 2009
"The music of Gilberto Miguel Calderon (Sonny)aka..Joe Cuba was heard all the time during the early 1970's in my house....so much so that I have become a dedicated collector of Afro-Cuban music in all it' manifestations..Timba,Salsa,Songo..etc"

**
2. delta1023, 2009
"Haha....this and Che Che Cole. As soon as they came on everyone went crazy."

**
Reply
3. Aaron MrQ, 2010
"@delta1023 :

 EXACTLY what "delta" said! I grew up in East Harlem(El Barrio) in NYC & this joint here, "Che Che Cole` " &  "Latin Shaft" by Joe Bataan had us gettin' our "latino groove" on most hard.....and I'm a black man raised on James Brown!"

**
4. Claude Chaney, 2009
"1968 was a banner year for latin music in New York City. Of course there was Tito Puente (the King) but there was also Ricardo Ray, Joe Quijano, Eddie Palmieri,

Ray Barretto, Johnny Colon, Hector Rivera and the man whose song (Bang, Bang) was guaranteed to get people moving on the dance floor Joe Cuba who gave us other classics like Oh Yeah, El Pito (I'll Never Go Back To Georgia) and To Be With You.  Joe Cuba will be missed. R.I.P."

**
5. Richie Colon, 2009
"Lots and Lots of FABULOUS Memories with the familia dancing the night away to this song."  

**
6. mojoman888, 2010
"I remember roller skating to this song.  Back in the day, this was the song everybody went crazy over.  Everybody got on the floor and skated to this song. Dancing and clapping to this soulful song which appealed to everyone that had any rhythm in their blood. Latin Boogaloo all the way!"

**
7. musicteachjw, 2010
"I woke up with this song on my head -- must have been hungry.  At Alpha parties, we used to chant "beep beep ah" all night in Cleveland.   I had to find it.  Thanks for posting."
-snip-
“Alpha” probably is a referent for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Inc, a historically Black Greek letter [university based organization.

**
8. cousineddy, 2011
"If there's ever a group that knows how to party & jam = Puerto Ricans to the max!"

**
9. Rick Watson, 2012
"The good old days when Blacks and Hispanics (Latinos) used to hang out and groove together in New York. Thank God those days are returning with Salsa and Sould being listened to by those of all of our cultures."

**
10. Howard Luloff, 2012
"I rediscovered Bang Bang several years ago on a CD and it brought back memories of hearing it on WABC in New York in the mid 60s.  Joe Cuba was a little known Latin artist who hit it big with this song.  I think that the version WABC played was shorter."

**
11. PlexusSlimNancy, 2012
"I CAN'T STOP listening to it over & over....I LOVE THIS  SONG.  WOW what memories!!!!  NYC and Newark NJ, my childhood.  Growing up Puerto Rican in the Tri State area I'd listen to this. I lived in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Newark and these songs were always playing.   My poor husband is a white boy from Minnesota and he's like "are you going to stop listening any time now"...hahhaha  NO NO NO.  I love this music. thanks for he memories."

**
12. Marilyn Maya MENDOZA, 2012
"I was brought up with Joe Cuba's music too in Brooklyn. I'm Puerto Rican too. WEPA!"
-snip-
Here's information about the word "Wepa" from https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/wepa.259591/
"Ms.Roo said:

"¡Wepa!" is shouted often in salsa circles. I hear it often enough that I understand it to be an exclamation of encouragement or approval (to the dancers or musicians, usually), but can someone tell me what it actually *means* and where it came from (PR, I believe).

Thanks!

Yes, that's the use for the word WEPA among us Puertoricans, but there is also a shorter version, WEP, that some of us use as a form of salutation, or to aknowledge someone's presence."
-snip-
Several commenters on that discussion thread wrote that other Latinos use the exclamation "Wepa!".

****
13. Gabi Syderas, 2013
"Consegui achar esta música que ouvia na abertura de um progama do Big Boy na rádio Mundial nos anos 60 e curtia muito, porém não ouvia mais, pois só tocava um pedaço da música neste programa e nem sabia o nome, mas nunca esqueci e tentava achá-la.Hoje 02 de maio de 2013 finalmente achei"
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English:
"I managed to find this song that I heard in the opening of a Big Boy program on World radio in the 60's and I liked it a lot, but I didn't listen to it anymore, because I only played a part of the song on this program and I didn't even know the name, but I never forgot it and I tried to find it -la.Today May 2, 2013 I finally found"

**
14. pinto69ish, 2014
"thank you chinita, this is latin soul music."

**
15. Geoffrey Phipps, 2014
"wow....this is growing up in harlem 1968 baby!!!!!  long live boogaloo!!!!"

**
16. fred martinez, 2015
"i grew up in 1960s bushwick brooklyn. these songs were blasting outta every corner bar in the hood back in the days,my pops was a friend of mr joe cuba and introduced me to him once but i had no idea who i was meeting till i was older. wish i knew back then"

**
17. Carolyn Williams, 2015
"Survivor2002: I must be in your mother's age bracket. This song came out in 1966, I was14 years old. We were doing a dance called the PHILLY DOG. I grew up in WATTS in the NICKERSON GARDENS PROJECT, and ain't ashamed to admit it. Those were the days of, I really can't explain it here it would take much too long; and this is long enough. But this song came out at a time during immense social unrest, and brought a sort of ease to our community. But my grandchildren & a couple of my children look at me like you mentioned. This was one of my favorites also. Along with PATA PATA by Miriam Makeba; which is also on YT, I just finished listening to it as well as "GRAZING IN THE GRASS" by HUGH MASEKALA, I hope I spelled that right. These ALL came out that same year. All I can say now is: GROOVY, MAN, GROOVY!!! AND READ AND MEDITATE ON YOUR BIBLE AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN. JOHN 17"

**
18. amsedelm, 2016
"Wow what memories when I was 10 yrs old. 8)) And the first song to say Sock it to me! lol"

**
19. MrSymbiosis1, 2017
"this song was used in 'A Bronx Tale', 'Carlito's Way', 'The Scout', 'El Cantante', Wolf of', 'Chef', AND I know I'm missing one. RVC"

**
20. caddyjoint96, 2017
" "Bang Bang" brings me back to 1967 when I was thirteen.  This was fun music which helped to strengthen the sharing between Hispanic and Afro-American music culture especially in our urban cities. "

**
Reply
21. Enrique Caro, 2017
"That is exactly what our salsa is all about, a confluence of sounds, rhythms and culture that encompasses all of the Spanish speaking countries, Africa and the fusion in the USA."

**
Reply
22. kwacou, 2018
"Salsa is African.  Cuban son to rumba to salsa."

**
23. Doris Leyba, 2017
"BRONX & SPANISH HARLEM in D HOUSE"

**
24. Gail Starke, 2017
"Brings back so many pleasant memories. We'd tear the dance floor up when this song came on."

**
25.  Nancy Santiago-Weinreis, 2017
"Oh God…memories!  How a song can take you almost 50 years back.  I’m playing in the streets of Newark…playing kick-ball with my friends…listening to this music blare out of every Puerto Rican household window...which was pretty much my whole neighborhood. LOL  My dad is alive and young. I’m eating coconut ice cream from the push cart ice cream vendor…its summer time in Newark NJ….or I’m in Brooklyn….or Manhattan NY where I spent countless summers with cousins!"

**
26. Comicdominicano, 2018
"Hey:

Usado en el  show de  comedia mexicano de los años 70-80'sm   de La Carabina de Ambrosio, el sketch de Kin Kin

:)
-¡Saludos!"
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English
"Hey:

 Used in the 70's-80's Mexican comedy show La Carabina de Ambrosio, the Kin Kin skit

:)

Cheers!"

**
27. p.g. curtwright, 2019
"this song was a big hit with Black Chicago... so nice to hear it again!"

**
28, Antonio Montana, 2019
"Born and raised in the BOOGIEDOWN blacks and Puerto Ricans jammed so hard to this, and I say today nothing out nowhere can touch this song, not for debate period bang bang 💯🔥♨️😤🎭😈💋❤️R. I. PARIDISE Mr J CUBA thanks for the memories."
-snip-
“The BoogieDown” is a nickname for the Bronx, New York

**
29, dianne white, 2019
"My Dad partied with these Fabulous Men....Puerto Rican Pride Day 2019!!......Bang Bang"

**
30. Julio Soto, 2019
"En Cali Colombia se sigue escuchando la Música del sexteto de Joe Cuba."
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English:
"In Cali Colombia, the music of the Joe Cuba sextet continues to be heard."

**
31. Danny Phantom, 2020
"Yeah Joe Cuba was puerto rican, he's my grandpa, Joe Cuba was his stage name, not his actual name"

**
Reply
32. outwiththem, 2020
" @Danny Phantom  Same as Cuban Pete.  He was from Puerto Rican parents too.  But the Mafia, who owned the casinos in Cuba wanted to promote Cuba and wanted only musicians with Cuba name on them, not Puerto Rico were they had less power there.  Funny Fidel Castro kicked them all in 1959.  "Cuban Pete' was the creator of the Mambo kind of dancing famous all over the world as Salsa Dancing"..  Im a Silver Level Ballroom Dancer.."

**
33. Temer de souza curi filho, 2020
"Tema do ritmos de boate da rádio mundial do Rio de Janeiro , com o saudoso apresentador big boy!"
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English:
"Theme of the nightclub rhythms of the world radio of Rio de Janeiro, with the late presenter big boy!"

**
34. thisisnottherealochsenhaut, 2020
"Que Bueno! Nuyoricans representa!"
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English:
"That Good! Nuyoricans represents!"

**
35. jcarlos ayres, 2020
"Durante anos tentei saber quem cantava está música que era o prefixo de um programa que começava as 23hs na rádio mundial aqui no BRASIL isto tudo nos anos 70 o locutor era BIG BOY mas ele nunca falava o nome das músicas ou cantores depois ele faleceu e agora descobri a música aqui no you tube"
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English:
"For years I tried to find out who sang this song that was the prefix of a program that started at 11 pm on world radio here in BRAZIL all this in the 70's the announcer was BIG BOY but he never spoke the name of the songs or singers after he died and now I found the song here on you tube"

**
Reply
36. jcarlos ayres, 2020
"Programa RITMOS DE BOATE na rádio MUNDIAL"
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English:
"RHYTHMS DE BOATE program on WORLD radio"

**
37. Michael Folchetti, 2020
"1968 high school junior ,this was in the radio all the time!!!"

**
38. Michael Tyler, 2020
"Heard this song when younger living St. Louis and never knew the name or the artist. Man, the memories. My first exposure to Afro Latin sound"

**
39. Carter Bostic, 2020
"Those were the best days ever..... sny given time when fania was not touring, block parties in el barrio & Spanish Harlem were given at anytime. No permits had to be authorized from the police dept. Everybody chipped in to help. Home cooked food was made & sold on the streets while partying on the rooftops as well. Slamlocks were off from the apt doors.... anyone could come in & enjoy getting some food & drinks... while the bands were performing on the blocks of the streets. The power would come from the lamposts of the street. So many beautiful women to dance salsa & boogaloo.... I'm so blessed & grateful that I grew up in that era.... to have expencied that was phenomenal! La viva!"

**
40. Troy C. Jones 81, 2020
"Because our family was infused with Latinos from Puerto Rico and Ecuador this was a signature piece at our family gatherings. What a wonderful world of oneness it was. I love my Latin uncles o mis tios Latinos muy mucho."

**
41. NYC Songman, 2021
"Monster hit here in 1967.  I was 10.  My dear sister,  Mary was my conduit to the glorious sounds of R&B, soul,  and Latin."

**
42. Robin Steinfeld, 2021
"Sitting on the steps of Washington Elementary in Hempstead,NY ,friends brought their huge drums ,other percussions but mostly all of us singing this and even dancing ,this and more from Joe Cuba to Tito Puente it was Heaven on earth !"

**
43. Felipe TORRES, 2022
"🇵🇷 Puerto Rico in New York, that's the way I see it. Incomparable, our music 🎵🎶 was all over the city 24/7 miss those days, it's sad...very."

****
Excerpt #3:
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lanGvlnBt6c&ab_channel=NBCNews

1. Lupe C., 2017
“I came to the states in May 1966. I was then, 7 and remember dancing to the Boogaloo songs  at family parties. I remember listening to Joe Bataan, Pete Rodriguez, Joe Cuba, Richie Ray & Bobby Cruz, Ray Barretto, etc. I'm glad that Mr. Ramirez Warren decided to make a documentary about this funky latin music from the 1960's. Congrats!!!!”

**
2. Iasciate Ogni Speranza, 2018
“It was never forgotten, it was mixed , wrongly, with Salsa. The Barrio and Bronx sounds eventually merged and resulted in Watusi, Boogaloo, Salsa and Disco ( afro american side)   The roots were in jazz, guajira , montuno and rock. 

What a Wonderful generation of musicians.”

****
3. Gina Bonina, 2018
"And now we have CARDI B bringing it back OLD skool style New skool style ...LOVING IT...My mom used the term boogaloo all the time, particularly when describing someting that freaked you out or scared you..."had me doing the Boogaloo!" LMAO!  And as kids on the street in Brooklyn, we used to sing "Ahh beep beep, walking down the street, 10 times a week, ungawa black power, destroy white boy, I said it, I meant it, I simply represent it, I'm cool, I'm calm, I'm soul sista number 9, sock it to me one more time!" --sign of the times huh?"

****
4. Laura Milagros, 2020
"6/19/20 ... Calif Boricua-Cubana here .. born 1954.  Aaaah ... ¡Sí! ... those were such great  days!  I would go nuts when I  heard  El Pito, Bang, Bang, I Like It Like That,  (sorry, but the sampled version done in 2020 just SUCKS! 😝👎 What a way to butcher/ruin a classic!)   &  El Watusi (charanga) & La Bamba (Rock con clave .. ¡'na' ma'! ... by Richie Valenzuela, Pacoima, ♡CA♡ ... La Bamba became  my cariño as a kid bc I loved that song so much).  There are  so many other great/fun Bugalú songs I could mention.  I still listen to them & do the dance bc it  became a part of WHO I AM just as did  the Twist, the Jerk, the Mashed Potato, the Shimmee, Hully Gully, Surfer Stomp & the Stroll.   Aint nuthin' like the 60s, baybee!  On into the 70s & 80s ... got totally amped on Fania y Salsa. ¡Guepa y A'i  na' ma'!  We Latinos have made a definite mark on music in America.  So glad a Boogaloo doc is coming out this year! Adelante pa' 'lante,  vencimos.... beep, beep!"
-snip-
Boricua =  "a person from Puerto Rico by birth or descent."  [from various websites]

Here's a quote from https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/puerto-rico-history
"Puerto Rico’s native Taíno population—whose hunter-gatherer ancestors settled the island more than 1,000 years before the Spanish arrived—called it Borinquén, and referred to themselves as boricua (a term that is still used today)."

****
This concludes Part II of this three part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.