{"id":3264,"date":"2013-03-01T10:10:53","date_gmt":"2013-03-01T15:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/?p=3264"},"modified":"2013-12-09T14:17:06","modified_gmt":"2013-12-09T19:17:06","slug":"harlem-shake-redux-redux-redux-redux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/allin\/2013\/03\/01\/harlem-shake-redux-redux-redux-redux\/","title":{"rendered":"Harlem Shake redux redux redux redux, with video"},"content":{"rendered":"
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…so popular?<\/p><\/div>\n

Even though I was born 3 blocks from the southern boundary of Harlem, even though I attended college in Harlem, even though I’m a radio dj who plays blues, jazz, roots music, much of which emanates from artists with Harlem connections, I was the LAST person in the western hemisphere to learn about the Harlem Shake viral craze.<\/p>\n

So, I’m here to make it right.<\/p>\n

It all started for me with a link from a Canadian. Can you imagine the mortification: an almost-Harlem native informed about the Harlem Shake by a Canadian! Hank was letting me know that our colleagues at Vermont Public Radio<\/a> had produced a VPR version of the Harlem Shake. I worried that this might be a bit, hmm, insensitive racially considering the overwhelmingly white audience and population in Vermont. Oh boy. Was I out of it or what?<\/p>\n

Well, I’m going to take all of you through the history of the Harlem Shake, thanks to a great article in today’s NY Times<\/a><\/em>. Here’s a very short video clip of the earliest days of the Harlem Shake, back in the ’80s:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/youtu.be\/ftA5FbNRSRY<\/p>\n

Right up to a recent Two Way<\/em> <\/em>blog entry on npr.org<\/a> from Mark Memmott, complete with a video of the Shake being done on a commercial flight (FAA may be reprimanding flight crew).<\/p>\n

Finally, here’s an instructional video, in case you think your Harlem Shake chops need a little upgrade:<\/p>\n