conga

To dance the conga.

Noun

  1. A tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban hand drum of African origin.
  2. A march of Cuban origin in four-four time in which people form a chain, each holding the hips of the person in front of them; in each bar, dancers take three shuffle steps and then kick alternate legs outwards at the beat; the chain weaves around the place and allows new participants to join the back of the chain.
    • The conga dance, with its long line that might eventually sweep in everybody in the place, and the kick on the fourth beat and the fruited headdress that were to become her trademarks. - 1979, John Storm Roberts, The...

Origin

For the dance: * Borrowed from Spanish Congo (“Congo dance”), so-called for being of sub-Saharan African origin.

Forms

congas

Derived

conga drum conga line

Verb

  1. To dance the conga.

Forms

congas congaing congaed

Related

bunny hop