Love local traditions like the Carolina shag and their funny category of “beach music.”

First, another group based out of Paris that you might find interesting is Gotan Project, a sort of disco/tango/hip- hop mashup. If you haven’t heard their music before, I highly recommend “Una Musica Brutal” as an introduction. It seems to me that, apart from their being French by way of Argentina, their music is just the kind of thing you’re talking about in your commentary on social dancing, disco, and live music.

Second, I wonder if you’re aware of the long-standing dance craze(which is the official dance of North and South Carolina- who knew states had official dances?) that began along “the strand” of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina called “the shag.” Although I was born in South Carolina, after living in the DC area for some time I was shocked to find that nearly all the natives at the South Carolina university I ended up going to knew how to “shag.” Of course, I was jealous that I couldn’t participate.

This dance, like the Charleston, is associated with a certain kind of “beach music,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_music) exemplified by the soul group The Chairmen of the Board (especially “Carolina Girls” and “Give Me Just a Little More Time”). If you’re ever along the strand, there are multiple “beach music” radio stations. You’ll also see carolinians doing the shag to pretty much every other type of music, from country to hip-hop.