Global Dance Cultures in the 1970s and 1980s: Disco Heterotopias

This book explores the diverse lives of disco between the 1970s and 1980s, from its origins in queer and Black New York undergrounds to its global spread. It charts the translation of disco as a cultural form into various musical, geo-political, ideological, and sociological landscapes, highlighting its impact on visual culture, gender politics, and popular music.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 345 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2023
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This captivating book delves into the diverse lives of disco, flourishing between the 1970s and 1980s. It explores the global journey of this cultural phenomenon, from the oil-boom Nigeria to socialist Czechoslovakia, from post-colonial India to war-torn Lebanon. It charts the remarkable transformation of disco from a musical form into a multifaceted cultural force, encompassing musical, geo-political, ideological, and sociological landscapes. The book showcases the diverse dimensions disco took on as it traversed the world, capturing the variety of scenes, contexts, and reasons for its proliferation.

Disco's impact extends far beyond its original conditions of production and reception, leaving a profound mark on visual culture, gender politics, and subsequent forms of popular music, art, fashion, and style. It serves as an exemplary case of how a subversive and marginalized scene, such as the queer and Black New York undergrounds in the early 1970s, transformed into a mainstream cultural industry.

As disco exploded, fragmented, and traveled, it served various agendas, driven by its aesthetic roots in pleasure, transgression, and escapism. Its formal malleability, built around a four-on-the-floor beat, allowed it to permeate local scenes, where its meaning shifted and evolved in unexpected and radical ways.

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of disco's multifaceted legacy, shedding light on its global impact and its enduring influence on contemporary culture. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history, politics, and cultural significance of this iconic musical genre.

Weight: 470g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030919979
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022