Thursday, June 25, 2009

Pata-Pata

Today I walked into my local hipster cafe for a decaf americano. I heard a song that was at once familiar and unidentifiable.  As I looked around the cafe I saw staff and patrons bobbing their heads, subtly rocking out. And then I remembered - the pata pata!  This was the song played to accompany a dance I learned in junior high gym class.  I almost laughed out loud; the song, removed from its context as a middle school torture device, was compelling and fun. I have had the song in my head all day. I wonder how many other people who heard it this morning are rehearsing the dance steps to themselves this evening.

The song:


The dance:

or here, but the one with the kids in it feels closer to my childhood experience.

2 comments:

  1. oh my! i am putting naomi on this task today.

    flashback, flashback.

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  2. They've now made a Honda commercial with Pata Pata as the song. And while your experience with the song was bad, I have only fond memories of it as we danced to it in Israeli dance class. Of course, it was the only fun class. And yes, it's been stuck in my head ever since as well.

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