Really, there was truly something for everyone, in the 80s.
New Wave and the British Invasion were still in power. Teen stars like Tiffany and Debbie Gibson, as well as veteran artists like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston released multi-hit albums. The earliest boy bands like New Kids On The Block were born. Old favorites like The Doobie Brothers and Roy Orbison were revived (though of course the latter also sadly lost his life). The adult contemporary hits of the era are still revered as some of the best love songs ever. Metal hits went pop. Rap and hip-hop were still genres, not entire ways of life like today.
Yet the dance flavor of the era was what many people today refer to as freestyle. Not too trancy or house-ish, this blended sound of electro, techno and even a touch of disco was first embraced in the early 80's in America's Latin communities such as Miami and parts of New York. Tracks like Planet Rock by Soul Sonic Force (1982) and Let The Music Play (1983) by Shannon are credited as being some of the earliest successes of the genre.
However come 1987, many freestyle songs had made it high on the Top 40 Charts. Silent Morning by Noel. Fascinated by Company B. Several hits by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.
All of them have toured throughout the U.S. in recent years, reviving the sound once enjoyed by the mainstream pop crowd. Yet a number of the aforementioned will reunite this coming Saturday, March 20th in the Bronx.
Forever Freestyle 4 - Lehman Center
The performing arts center at Lehman University will host the show that brings together a dozen freestyle acts. The concert that has appeared in other northeastern cities like Trenton (Sovereign Bank Arena) in 2008 and 09 will feature Lisa Lisa, Corina, Safire, Noel, & More, Rob Base, Nayobe, Shannon, Nocera, Joyce Sims, Nyasia and David (formerly of Nice Wild).
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam...who first achieved pop success in 1985 with I Wonder If I Take You Home. The following year, many fell in love with one of freestyle's most soothing ballads, All Cried Out. Lisa Lisa reached the top 10, and even number 1 in '87 with Head To Toe and Lost In Emotion.
Joyce Sims made it big in the R&B and pop worlds with "Come Into My Life." It cracked the top ten in the UK and Billboard's Top 100 in 1988. The year before, "(You Are) All and All" garnered substantial airplay.
David, while he was part of the trio Nice & Wild, released Diamond Girl in 1986, which became another pop success.
Corrina was one of freestyle's later bloomers. Her hit Temptationin 1991 reached number 6 on the Billboard charts, and kept dance floors moving as music began to change with the growing influences of hip-hop and R&B.
They and the others hope to attract a sold out crowd at Lehman on the 20th. Tickets are available by calling (718) 960-8833, or visiting www.lehmancenter.org.
It presents New York with the opportunity to relive one of the many styles of music it helped launch.
Mark Fontes - Mark Fontes joined the team at WZBN-TV in March, 2008. His first two years there he covered stories ranging from shootings and fires to ...
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