Krakwakin Gives Brazilians New Spirit
Krakwakin is the latest dance craze in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It seems like somebody was interested in inventing a Latin American contemporary of Hip Hop so they could be in step with their North American neighbors. Quite literally because Hip Hop represents doing the ‘step’ or the ‘hop.’ And when you do a contemporary, that is, ‘hip’ step, it becomes Hip Hop. Well, move over Samba! The new dance of Brazil is Krakwakin and will probably captivate the entire country like Hip hop has North America.
The Spirit of Dynamism
The story goes that Alberto, a 25-year old returned to his native Sao Paulo after finishing his studies in America, where he learned to speak English and imbibed American ideals such as dynamism and change. He felt the Brazilian soccer team was not playing as well as when they had last won the World Cup in 2002, and for whom the unofficial dance was the Samba. Imbued with America’s penchant for innovation and change, he decided the streets of Brazil needed to be filled with youth dancing to a new style. It would then filter into the bloodstream of the entire nation, and soon the national soccer team would be dancing to its tune, and play a new, winning game.
Inspiration of Krakwakin
Trying their best to capture the style of urban hip-hop culture in the United States, Alberto and his buddies started bending their knees while walking, and at the same time making actions with their hands. The hand movement was alternated with bobbing the head from side to side, and that in effect constituted the new dance, Krakwakin. So, the dance is effectively a ‘walk,’ where you cross your partner a number of times from various angles.
Origin of the Term
With its current popularity, curiously in Rio, studies on its origin debated on why it is named Krakwakin. There is little doubt that ‘wakin’ in that word is a derivative of ‘walking’, with the dropped ‘l’ (el). Alberto’s knowledge of English by the time of his return further supported the theory of his contribution to the word.
What is however, not certain is what ‘krak’ is supposed to mean. One version is that the person who is dancing appears ‘cracked,’ or insane, due to the not-so-stately position of his arms or head. It’s a bit severe as an opinion because any kind of dance has movements that appear unusual to some. The other version is that Alberto, who is rumored to have experimented with drugs, had smoked ‘crack.’ Therefore, the person doing the walk, ‘wakin,’ having had ‘crack,’ was ‘Krackwakin.’
Krakwakin Mania
Well, at the moment, Krakwakin is making waves even in Mexico and is reported to be the next big thing in United States. Funny, that it should return to the place that first inspired it. But then, haven’t we heard that one before?
