World News – USA – Adolfo ‘Shabba Doo’ Quinones, star of ‘Breakin’, dies aged 65

Adolfo « Shabba Doo » Quiñones, the dancer and actor who became famous in « Breakin » and its sequel « Breakin » 2: Electric Boogaloo, « died on Wednesday. He was 65 years old.

No cause of death has been disclosed. Just the day before he was discovered unconscious, Quiñones posted a photo of himself smiling and giving the peace sign in bed and saying, « Good news, all of you! I’m better just a little sluggish from my cold, but the good news is that I’m Covid 19 negative! Woo hoo! ”

In addition to his appearance in the « Breakin ‘ » films, both in 1984, he had a leading role on the big screen in « Lambada » in 1990. Before Quiñones hit the movies, he was already part of pop culture history to choreograph and appear in Lionel Richie’s « All Night Long » video.

Quiñones was a member of the Lockers crew who helped promote the Locking style of street dance. Co-founder Toni Basil wrote: “It is with extreme sadness that the Lockers family announce the unexpected death of our beloved Adolfo Shabba-doo Quinones. We ask for privacy during this difficult time. ”

I just heard that I lost another friend Shabba. A great hip hop dancer. We toured with Lionel Richie in 1983. Gosh, rest in peace, my brother. @officialshabbadoo @Shabba_Doo picture. Twitter. com / YntRWT1t55

« Damn it, Shabba Doo. RIP, ”wrote DJ the Blessed Madonna. “It’s so sad to see that so many of our basic dancers have passed away this year. ”

A message previously posted on his website states that Quiñones is in the process of developing a film based on his memoir, « The Godfather of Street Dance: The Dance Father of Hip Hop, » which details his life and that The true origin of street dance is revealed. ”

In a 2008 interview with the Black Hollywood File, he discussed the making and impact of « Breakin » and said it was critical to the development of hip-hop culture.

« It only took 21 days to ‘breakin’ with a budget of 900. To make $ 000, « he said. “It broke box office records and was the beginning of the hip hop movement as we know it. If it hadn’t worked, that culture would likely have been in trouble . . . We had Beat Street (and) everyone threw their hats in the ring, but it was Breakin (that was) that really worked. … I think it was the first movie that showed hip hop … had a multicultural face. And we always knew that. When I went out, I saw whites and blacks and Hispanics and I saw Asians and whatever everyone was working and doing together. But it was only perceived by the media as black culture or Hispanic culture (thing). . It wasn’t really something that everyone did. And « Breakin » showed that with this white girl. … in the middle of all these black (and) Spaniards … and they totally identified with them. And that was the key in my opinion. ”

But he added, « Hip-hop may have a multicultural face, but don’t be fooled because it came from our people. It came from blacks and Africans and Puerto Ricans and all that too. Just like blues and jazz. But now it belongs to the world. ”

Quiñones was born in Chicago to a black father and a Puerto Rican mother who raised him alone from the age of three. As a member of the TV group “Soul Train”, he got into show business.

In a 1984 interview with the Sarasota Sun-Herald, he recalled moving to California with his mother at the age of 16 and hitchhiking from her home in Anaheim to Hollywood for 14 hours of filming would go to « Soul Train ». 1971-72 « They couldn’t keep me out of there, » he said. « I would be there at 7 a.m. and leave around 10 p.m.. ”

In addition to his work for Richie, his choreography credits included Madonna’s 1987 « Who is That Girl? » Tour and TV work on MTV’s « Blowin ‘Up ». « He already appeared as a dancer on television in 1976 » What’s Happening !! « 

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He noticed that he was often younger than his age on the screen. In a 2008 interview when he was 53 years old, the dancer said, « This is a number that surprises people because when they think of the ‘Breakin’ movies they think of me as a dancing kid. I was really a full-fledged man of 30 who played an 18 year old. And I’ve always just looked younger than me, you know. ”

Breakin ‘, Shabba Doo, Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, Ozone, Soul Train, The Lockers