The Streets of Cairo (a.k.a. The Hoochie Coochie Dance) was a sexually provocative belly dance term that originated at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876.[1] It became wildly popular during and after the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.[2] Described by the New York Journal in 1893 as "Neither dancing of the head nor the feet",[3] it was a belly dance performed by women of, or presented as having an, Eastern European gypsy heritage, often as part of travelling sideshows. Gooch, goochie or gootchie was apparently already a term in the American South for a woman's vagina, and hoochie coochie has been suggested as referring directly to sex.
It was performed by Kat Nipp and Mickey Mouse in the 1929 short entitled "The Karnival Kid"; however; they have different perspectives, Kat Nipp's trying to get people's money, and Mickey's trying to tell them that it's a scam and to come buy his hot dogs. The song ends when Kat Nipp gets mad at Mickey and pulls his nose, the music stops when Mickey blows his tongue at him.
Lyrics
Kat Nipp: [She] puts you in a trance, with her hoochie coochie dance, di-di-di-di, di-di-di-di, di-di-di-di-di...
Mickey Mouse: Hot dogs! Hot dogs! (x2)
Hot Dogs: Arf, arf, arf, arf! (scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch) (x2)
Kat Nipp: Just a dime, ten cents, see the hoochie coochie dance!
Mickey: It's a bum hooch dance, keep yer money in yer pants!
References
- ↑ Chujoy, Anatole and P.W. Manchester. The Dance Encyclopedia. Revised and enlarged edition. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1967, p. 474.
- ↑ Logoi.com
- ↑ Stencell, A. W. Girl Show: Into the Canvas World of Bump and Grind ECW Press, 1999. ISBN 1550223712. p.605