One of my favorite musical genres is boogie-woogie, a style that was popularized by the African American community in the late 1920s, although the style has been around since the 1870s. At first, the style was primarily for piano but extended eventually to piano duos and even trios, country and western music, big band sound, and even blues and gospel. Although the blues has traditionally expressed a variety of different emotions, boogie-woogie is associated primarily with dancing. In fact, the lyrics to an early boogie-woogie hit, “Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie,” consists nearly entirely of instructions for dancers.
Boogie-woogie is a surprisingly versatile piano style. It’s well suited for soloists, but can also accompany singers and can even be featured in small combos and orchestras. The name “boogie-woogie” probably originated from African terms used in various African tribes. For example, “Boog” is a Hausa word, Booga” is a Mandingo word, and “mbuki mvuki” is Bantu terminology that means “to dance wildly, as if to shake off one’s clothes.” It can also be interpreted as “to take off in flight.” Also, the Western African word “Bogi” means “to dance.” Most experts note that the African origin of the words is consistent with the origin of the genre.
I studied classical piano for 12 years and I’m embarrassingly bad at playing the piano. I regret not applying myself more. My elderly piano teacher told me that if you enjoy playing the piano, you’ll never be bored or lonely. I’m actually rarely bored or lonely, but I know that if I played more, it would bring me much joy. However, one thing my training did was teach me an appreciation for true artists and musicians (of which I’m neither!). This video of cruise ship pianist Tommy Johnson inspires me to consider getting back into playing and maybe even taking some lessons. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even try some boogie-woogie. I love this genre. It’s so upbeat and happy sounding and really gets folks moving. There’s a reason it’s a popular genre for old-school dancing.
YouTube
Watch Tommy Johnson tickle the ivories below. You’ll be mind-blown. This video has had more than six million views on YouTube and there’s a reason for that. It’s epic!
