The Soundtrack of Our Childhood, The Freestyle/Disco/R&B Classics That Defined Latino Celebrations
Table of content
Intro
I don't know about you, but from my perspective with growing up in a Latino family (for me, the 90s & 2000s), these tracks were the soundtracks to life! The moment you heard any of these jams, you knew it was time to clean the house, walk around the swap meet, celebrate a cousin's birthday, or just jam out at a Sunday barbecue at the park.
Varying from Electronic to Funk, these songs made history in our hearts and became a shared cultural experience. There were always certain tunes in rotation, and all for good reason, but why? Let's take a look and discover why we keep grooving to this party playlist 'till this day!
Freestyle Queens: Hit the Dance Floor Immediately!
These songs have an chill synth beat with electric female vocals. Probably the most representative songs of the ones mentioned in this article.
- “If I Take You Home” — Lisa Lisa
- "Lookout Weekend" & "When I Hear Music" — Debbie Deb
- "Let the Music Play" — Shannon
- "In A Dream" — Rockell
- "Funky Little Beat" — Connie
R&B Groovin': Funk & Soul Taking the Night Away
Most danceable beats with funky baselines & catchy melodies
- “Saturday Love” — Cherrelle
- “I Can Make You Dance” & Computer Love — Zapp
- “Forget Me Nots” — Patrice Rushen
- “Candy Man”, “All Night Long”, & “In My House” — Mary Jane Girls
- “Take Your Time (Do It Right)” — S.O.S. Band
- “You Dropped a Bomb On Me” — The Gap Band
- “Double Dutch Bus” — Frankie Smith
- “Oh Sheila” — Ready for the World
Disco/Pop Divas: Bringing Drama & Excitement
Fun to step to, especially when you just got a drink
- “Lucky Star”, “Into the Groove’, & “Holiday” — Madonna
- “Two of Hearts” — Stacey Q
- “Love Come Down” — Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King
- “Ring My Bell” — Anita Ward
More Than Just Music—It's a Cultural Bond
These tracks were ingrained into us from the start, most likely from our tías & tíos, as they were there when those beats dropped for the first time. They carried those tunes with them as time went on, bumping them at any function with a ice-cold Modelo in-hand.
As they got older and we were little kids, they could be having so much
fun, the party literally doesn’t stop until 2, 3, 4, 5, even 6am!
Sometimes you were at someone’s house, trying to sleep, waiting to go
home. If you were like me, your house was the party-house, and you were
doomed to listen whether you wanted to or not, and usually an argument
would start over nothing, and they forget it’s 1am, and the police gets
called for a noise complaint (again), all the while “Two of Hearts” by
Stacey Q is playing amidst the chaos.
Anyway besides that oddly-specific example that is totally not a memory of mine…
Despite
the cleverly-disguised lyrics hiding the sexual innuendos, the overall
vibes were lighthearted and easy to dance/sing-along to. Something about
this collection always made you feel like life was great, everything
was going to be okay, you felt like the weekend was never going to end,
and it never will when you hit “Play” to this tracklist.
Keeping the Beat Going Strong Today
As far as I know, Millenials (especially in Los Angeles & New York) are no stranger to this vibe, and many still choose retro over current hits. In a time of confusion & chaos, we turn to these classics to get back what music was really supposed to do: let us unwind, forget about our problems, and just have uninhibited-fun!
If you want to carry on the tradition:
- Make a playlist & blast it at your next party or in your car on a Sunday drive
- Use these songs in your TikToks or IG posts to introduce them to a new audience
- Add their fashion & energy into your looks (bold colors, sequins, crop tops, high-waisted pants, big hair, etc.)
As we age, i’m sure in no-time, we’ll be those tías & tíos who blast the oldies and keep the electric heartbeat going, but we got to remember to put down the phone live life in-the-moment, as our family did before us.
