Funk. Soul. Pop. Salsa?! All these genres mixed together to create what we know today as DISCO! A time where dance and lights met and got groovy together. The 70s was live and in action with disco balls, dirty dancing and enough strobe lights to put us all in shock.

 

The roots of Disco came from soul music based out of Philly and New York in which both evolved from Detroit Motown sound. Disco saved music and dance in such a way that people felt the need to incorporate into their everyday lives. Composed of “Four-on-the-floor” beats, syncopated bass lines, horns, electrics pianos, synthesizers, and electric rhythm guitars, disco brought a different groove to the dance floor.

 

After the rise of Disco, dance became more popularized as a social activity. Dancing had a new style of free form where men and women were free to dance with whomever and wherever they wanted. It was in this time that disco was everybody’s time to truly live and feel free.

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The origin of Disco officially started when David Mancuso and Francis Grasso developed a new style called DJing in 1970. Through this style and genre of music social liberation was created. Men were dancing with men and women with women. Everyone felt a strong sense of freedom. Disco set fire to the LGBT community. They felt like anything was possible and the move and groove of this music made them feel more comfortable with who they were.

 

Disco put a spin to party culture and made it the main event.

Disco moved from clubs to the airwaves in the mid-1970s. During this time there were many disco singers who had a heavy influence on the music and the crowds it brought along with it.

 

Singers such as Grace Jones, Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summer, Sister Sledge, Cheryl Lynn, Van McCoy, and Sylvester to name a few put hit records out that are still alive and well today. Songs like “Shame”, “Got to Be Real”, and “The Hustle” really took us to a new place in our minds, body, and groovy souls.

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Though the government tried to put this new dance craze to rest because of the nature of people, they failed in getting rid of the spirit of disco. Today, disco music lives on in nightclubs and on the airwaves. We can still hear the sounds of our beloved singers on your old school radio stations and in the remixes of today’s music.

 

Disco changed the views of the world and added a tremendous amount of pizzazz to our lives. This, my funky friends, was indeed a funky time.