Seattle, WA. May 13th- It was a historical night in West Seattle as the Unified Outreach non-profit Arts Program hosted the ‘Seattle City Breakers Reunion’ celebrating 30 years of hip hop culture in Seattle.
This event brought together some of Seattle hip hops legendary Breakdancers and B-Boys/B-Girls in a multi generational event that took many through a time-warp and back to the early 80s when groups such as the Emerald City, Seattle City Breakers, Fresh Force, 1st Degree Breakers, and DeRoxy Crew ruled the dance floor.
The event featured guest speaker Nasty Nes Rodriguez who was the first radio DJ to host an all rap music show back in 1983. Having the honor of sharing the DJ booth with Nes were legendary DJs B-Mello, Mr. Supreme, SoulOne, SuReal, NaNino, SeaBefore, Khazm, and DJ Tecumseh.
The venue provided by West Seattle Christian Church featured a 600 person event center/performance hall which quickly filled to capacity with four decades of B-Boys and B-Girls crowding in to see Seattles original break dancers. Event organizers Carlos Barrientes and David Toledo provided a special seating area for a group of 20 special needs youth to attend and to participate in some of the open floor breakdancing.
The star of the night (who flew in from Hawaii for the event) was Ziggy Zig Zag Puaa; a breakdancer who rose to stardom in Seattle during the 80s and then disappeared at the height of his career. Rumors had circulated for years about Ziggys demise during a surfing accident; only to have Ziggy shock many old friends and fans when a video surfaced on YouTube featuring Ziggy breakdancing in Hawaii last year. Also a surprise to many was the attendance of Danny Molino who has been in a wheelchair since a gun shot wound to the head paralyzed most of his body in the early 1990s.
Other legends to appear at the event included ‘Seattles first Breakdancer’ Jonathan (Junior) Alefaio, as well as Rafael Contreras, Spencer Reed, Danny Molino, Carlos (Sir Slamalot) Barrientes, Li’a Cat (Wacky) Talaga, Michael (Kid Wave) Gonzales, and Dave ‘Pablo D’ Narvaez.
Staying true to the idea of Hip Hops ‘4 Elements’ (DJ, MC, Breakdancer, and Graffiti Artist) the house was full of other pioneers as well; including Specs Wizard, Sam Sneke, KeepOne, Tyrone Dumas, FazeOne, Gerald Carpio, Curtis Tauiliili, Mr. Cool Anthony Espinoza, Vince Nguyen, Bublz, Kevin Lundeen, and Kid Silly.
But the event wasnt limited to B-Boys only; as local community advocates such as King County Council candidate Diana Toledo were also in attendance (and helping out in the kitchen!)
The event culminated in an awards ceremony celebrating the ‘Heart of Hip Hop’ in which 8 ‘Old School’ legends received individually colored award plaque’s celebrating individual achievement. Receiving awards were Carlos Barrientes (Red/Power), Spencer Reed (Yellow/Joy), Ziggy Puaa (Orange/Passion), Dan Clavesilla (Dark Blue/Knowledge), Sam Sneke (Light Blue/Creativity), Danny Molino (White/Pure Style), Michael Hall (Purple/Magic), and Nes Rodriguez (Pink/Universal Love).
The event welcomed 4 decades of breakdancers to participate in the open floor; from the original’s, to current hotshot’s Massive Monkees and the Vicious Puppies, to a group of toddler B-Boys/B-Girls it was a fun-filled family event welcoming all ages.
It was a night to remember and something that will not be duplicated soon in Seattle as many legends and icons of the Seattle Hip Hop Community came together for a night of reminiscing, educating, and celebrating a our shared history.
