Josephine Baker: Diva and WWII spy!

JOY DOLO: 00-Obasi, do you copy? Over.

OBASI: Yeah, Joy-- I mean, 00-Dolo. Copy that. Over.

JOY DOLO: Roger that. What's your 20? Over.

OBASI: You mean my location? Joy, we've been--

JOY DOLO: [CLEARING THROAT]

OBASI: OK, 00-Dolo. We've been sitting next to each other, slurping milkshakes for the last 10 minutes. You know my location.

[SLURPING]

Over.

JOY DOLO: Copy that. I just wanted us to test our new H-E-R-M-I-E, a.k.a. HERMIE-issued thumb radios before we get our next spy mission. Over and out.

OBASI: Ah, gotcha. These tiny communication devices disguised as our thumbs are pretty cool.

JOY DOLO: Yeah! Now, when we spy on somebody, they'll just think we're giving them a big thumbs up when, actually, we're sending our super secret spy messages by talking into our thumb radios-- the perfect tool for agents of HERMIE, like us.

OBASI: What does HERMIE stand for?

JOY DOLO: Historical Effects Retaining Mystery, Intrigue, and Excitement, obviously.

[ELEPHANT TRUMPETING]

OBASI: Oh, that must be H with our next mission.

JOY DOLO: Thumbs up.

H: Hello, agents. I have a new assignment for you. Does the name Josephine Baker mean anything to you?

JOY DOLO: Josephine Baker, the black dancer and singer who became super famous in the 1920s and '30s?

OBASI: Josephine Baker, who wore fancy furs and jewelry and befriended artists like Picasso.

H: Indeed. It's good to hear you're familiar with her.

JOY DOLO: [SLURPING]

H: What was that?

JOY DOLO: Sorry! Just finishing my milkshake.

H: As I was saying, it has come to our attention that there may be more to Ms. Baker's history than meets the eye. I need you to go through her timeline and search for clues.

OBASI: You got it, H. This case is going to be solved before you can say, over and out.

H: Agents, you know it's only going to take, like, half a second to say, over and out.

JOY DOLO: Thumbs down! Thumbs down!

OBASI: Phew! That was a close one. Let's solve this thing.

JOY DOLO: Welcome to Forever Ago from APM Studios. I'm Joy Dolo. And today, I'm joined by Obasi from Oregon City, Oregon. Hey, Obasi!

OBASI: Hey, Joy! Forever Ago is a non-profit public radio program.

JOY DOLO: Which means we rely on support from you, our listeners, to keep the show going.

OBASI: There's lots of ways you can support this show.

JOY DOLO: You can donate, buy our merch, or become a Smarty Pass subscriber. Head to foreverago.org to show your support.

OBASI: And thank you.

JOY DOLO: As top secret agents of HERMIE, we go through history with a fine-toothed comb. Obasi, do you have a favorite time in history that you like to investigate?

OBASI: Well, the Industrial Revolution is pretty cool. There's a lot of inventions in there that I like to check out.

JOY DOLO: Like what?

OBASI: I know the zipper was invented then, but how did it come to exist? Like, it's something pretty simple that's in our everyday lives, but it's still super cool.

JOY DOLO: That's cool. The zipper was invented during the-- and it's one of those things that we take for granted. Like, could you imagine life without zippers?

OBASI: I-- that'd be something else, honestly.

JOY DOLO: It would be really hard to keep your coats on--

OBASI: Yeah.

JOY DOLO: --and keep your purse closed, keep your backpack closed, you know? If you could live in a different era, what would it be?

OBASI: Ooh. I'd probably say, like-- I don't know-- 1960, or, like, the 1980s, because all of the music and culture back then seemed pretty cool, honestly.

JOY DOLO: Yeah, yeah. Have you ever seen those '80s films where they have the big hair, and the socks? All the fashion and stuff from the time seems so cool.

OBASI: Yeah.

JOY DOLO: Yeah. I think the '70s would be cool, too, with the kind of hippie culture, and flowers, and concerts. And I don't know. It just seems like a cool-- and a time when young people were saying, we're going to try to establish ourselves as individuals. I think that's really powerful.

OBASI: Yeah, I agree.

JOY DOLO: Yeah. OK. So what's one spy gadget that you wish was real?

OBASI: Ooh. I'd probably say a grappling hook that had a recording camera and a whole bunch of things on it, but just looked like something an everyday person would use. That would be really cool, because then I could just bring it into school in my backpack. And I'm like, oh, no, I'm about to miss my class. I've got to get to the top floor really quickly. Grappling hook. Bam!

JOY DOLO: Grappling hook, go! And it's actually like your water bottle that just turns into a grappling hook and shoots you all the way to class. That's so cool.

So back to our super secret mission. We've been asked to learn about the legendary dancer Josephine Baker. The first thing we need are disguises. Pass me the glue so I can attach this fake mustache. And I'll pin this "I love Mayo" button on my shirt. No one will ever recognize me.

OBASI: Right. And I'll throw on these glasses with a fake nose.

JOY DOLO: Perfect.

OBASI: OK. We know Josephine Baker was one of the major black female entertainers of her time.

JOY DOLO: She was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1906. Back then, the United States was still growing. There were only 45 states at the time. A clue!

OBASI: Well, more of a fact in this case. And your mustache is upside down. Anyways, what we do know about Josephine's early life is that it was difficult.

JOY DOLO: Right. Black people in the United States faced intense racism.

OBASI: Laws were made and enforced by white people.

JOY DOLO: Some of these laws tried to keep Black and white people separate. This is known as segregation. These laws made it so Black people, like Josephine, couldn't attend the same schools as white people.

OBASI: And these laws made it illegal for Black people and white people to eat in the same restaurant, or even drink from the same water fountain.

JOY DOLO: To top it off, Josephine's family had very little money.

OBASI: During this tough time, Josephine found happiness in dancing.

JOY DOLO: By the time she was 13, she was performing for people on the streets of St. Louis.

SPEAKER 1: Wow! I've never seen moves like that.

SPEAKER 2: Yeah, that kid has something special.

JOY DOLO: Then in 1923, she followed her dancing shoes to New York City. That same year, a dance called the Charleston took the country by storm. In this dance, you kind of twist your feet on the floor and step forward and backward while your arms swing side to side.

OBASI: Josephine's version of the Charleston was anything but basic. Her limbs shot out every which way. And she made silly faces.

JOY DOLO: Her unique take on the dance helped her get hired to perform on the stages of New York, including a musical on Broadway. But segregation and racist laws meant that some theaters didn't allow Black people inside to see Josephine's shows. Others forced Black theater goers to sit in a separate section up in the balcony.

OBASI: Hey, Joy. Have you been able to locate any hidden historical details yet?

JOY DOLO: Oh, hold on! Let me scan the facts with my Dolodar 1000. It's the latest in super secret spy technology. I'm not getting any abnormal readings here. Cherry with a bubblegum center.

OBASI: Isn't the Dolodar 1000 just a lollipop?

JOY DOLO: It's not just a lollipop. It's a delicious lollipop. OK! Back to the mission. When Josephine was 19, she got her big break.

OBASI: A talent scout from France saw one of her performances and asked if she'd like to dance in a show in Paris. Josephine decided to go for it.

JOY DOLO: France had its own problems with racism at the time. But French people had a deep appreciation for African-American art and culture. And that made a big, big difference in her experience.

OBASI: From the moment she stepped off the boat in France, she knew things were different.

SPEAKER 3: Bonjour, mademoiselle. May I take your bag?

SPEAKER 4: Right this way to your taxi.

SPEAKER 5: How about a pastry fresh from my bakery?

OBASI: Josephine was amazed to be treated as an equal by white people in France.

JOY DOLO: In the US, she had to sit in separate areas of restaurants for Black people. And she often wasn't allowed in hotel lobbies. Yet here she was, having doors flung open for her and being greeted with a smile.

OBASI: Not long after she got to Paris, Josephine discovered that very few people had heard of the Charleston.

JOY DOLO: Remember, the Charleston was the style of dance Josephine had performed in New York, where she swung her arms and legs and made funny faces. The Charleston was super popular in the US in the 1920s. But in Paris, it was brand new.

OBASI: At her first performance, audiences were stunned. The people of Paris went gaga. Her performances soon started selling out.

SPEAKER 6: I've never seen someone dance like that. May I have your autograph?

OBASI: Fans started showering her with expensive gifts.

SPEAKER 7: I'd like to give you a gift for your singing and dancing talents. Here, take this automobile.

SPEAKER 8: As a token of my appreciation for singing and dancing at my theater, please accept this live cheetah as a gift.

JOY DOLO: It's true! Josephine was actually given a cheetah. She would stroll the streets of Paris with her pet cheetah named Chiquita on a leash.

OBASI: She also started her own line of beauty products. And she became the first Black woman to star in a major movie in France.

JOY DOLO: Josephine's stardom was like a rocket to the moon. She was more grande than Ariana.

OBASI: She had more splash than a car dash.

JOY DOLO: Introducing the queen hip shaker, Josephine Baker!

[CHEERING]

By the late 1930s, she had conquered all the biggest stages of Europe and was at the tip top of her fame.

OBASI: Joy, speaking of tip top, can you reach the folder on the top of the shelf? I can't tell what's inside, but I think the label says Josephine Baker.

JOY DOLO: On it! Let me just deploy my Dolo pogo go-go boots and hop on up. Got it! Oh, no. I can't stop bouncing. Here! Catch! I'm OK. I'm all right. What's in the folder?

OBASI: Whoa! It's a folder of sheet music Josephine used when she performed.

JOY DOLO: You mean like the paper that musicians use with the music notes on it?

OBASI: Yeah, but it's not just music. There's a bunch of writing in between the lines. It looks like a secret code.

JOY DOLO: Oh, let me see. This could be the clue we've been looking for. Before we dig into that, how about we take a little break and play--

SPEAKER 9: First Things First!

JOY DOLO: This is the game where we take three things and put them in order from oldest to most recent in history. Today we're going to guess which dance crazes came first, "The Cha-Cha Slide," "The Macarena," and "The Hokey Pokey." So what do you think, Obasi? Have you heard of these dances before?

OBASI: Oh, I've heard of all of them, and I've done all of them.

JOY DOLO: You've done all of them? Which one of those are your favorite?

OBASI: Probably "The Cha-Cha Slide."

JOY DOLO: Yeah, I like "The Cha-Cha Slide," too.

OBASI: This is probably going to be the hardest First Things First I've ever done ever. I'm usually really good at these, but these all seem super old.

JOY DOLO: Yeah, yeah. All right, so what's your first guess? What do you think is the oldest?

OBASI: I'm going to say "The Hokey Pokey," because, I mean, it just sounds the oldest.

JOY DOLO: Yeah, yeah.

(SINGING) You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around

That's what it's all about

All right, so the first one is "The Hokey Pokey"?

OBASI: Mhm. Then I'm going to say "The Cha-Cha Slide," just because the music sounds like '70s or like '90s to me.

JOY DOLO: Yes, the '90s was a long time, back when I was your age.

OBASI: And then the last one is going to be "The Macarena," because, I mean, I still see kids at my school doing it every now and then.

JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah.

OBASI: So it kind of still seems a little new.

JOY DOLO: Yeah, it's still got a new vibe to it. "The Macarena" still works. What is "The Macarena"? It's the hands where the hands go out, and then they flip over.

OBASI: Yeah.

JOY DOLO: And then you put it on your hips, and you do the--

(SINGING) Hey, Macarena

Right?

[VOCALIZING]

Hey, Macarena!

Aye!

Well, those are all great guesses. So just to recap, number one was "The Hokey Pokey."

OBASI: Mhm.

JOY DOLO: Number two was "Cha-Cha Slide," and then the most recent in history, "The Macarena."

OBASI: Yep.

JOY DOLO: All right! Those are great guesses. We'll hear the answer at the end of the episode.

OBASI: Don't dance too far away. Forever Ago will be right back.

JOY DOLO: Hey, Forever Ago friends. We're working on an episode all about school uniforms. And we want to hear from you. Do you think kids should wear uniforms to school? Why or why not? If you could design a school uniform for everyone in your school to wear every day, what would it look like? Obasi, what do you think? What kind of uniform would you design?

OBASI: Ooh, probably something that's comfy, like pajamas, but looks very official like-- I don't know-- ooh, a pajama business suit. That'd look cool.

JOY DOLO: Business pajamas. Pa-business, pa-business-- no. Pasiness-- no, pajamaness-- it's a work in progress. That's a cool idea, though. Something comfortable that looks professional. Do you think that kids should wear uniforms to school?

OBASI: I've kind of had an experience with uniforms. It really depends on what they're like.

JOY DOLO: What was your experience?

OBASI: Well my experience was you have three options for the shirt, yellow, red, or blue, and two options for the bottom, khaki or navy blue. The first couple years were kind of fun, but then it got a little old.

JOY DOLO: Yeah, yeah, because you only have the same options to choose from still.

OBASI: Yeah.

JOY DOLO: So it's like you have a uniform, but you have an option within the rules of it. So it could be fun, but I could see how it gets boring, too.

OBASI: Yeah.

JOY DOLO: Well, listeners, we want to hear what you think about school uniforms, too. So record yourself sharing your opinion or experience and send it to us at foreverago.org/contact. And while you're there, you can send us fan art, like maybe a picture of me and Obasi talking into our thumb radios while slurping milkshakes, or maybe a picture of business pajamas. Send it to us at foreverago.org/contact.

OBASI: And keep listening.

JOY DOLO: Brains On Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Forever Ago, you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on. Let's explore.

SPEAKER 10: It's alien exercise hour. Hi-ya! Hoo ha! While I stretch my snootles and bounce on my trampolini, I'll listen to a new podcast. I'm going to try Smash Boom Best, the best debate podcast ever.

SPEAKER 11: Tell us why Alice in Wonderland has such grand command.

SPEAKER 12: Drop the beat. Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed judge of Smash Boom Best. I'd like to start with a few rhymes.

(SINGING) Yo, catch me in the rabbit hole

Dazzled by a magic show by the--

SPEAKER 10: Zorb! Come back here, podcast. Must listen to Smash Boom Best now!

JOY DOLO: Listen to Smash Boom Best wherever you get your podcasts.

You're listening to Forever Ago. I'm Joy.

OBASI: And I'm Obasi.

JOY DOLO: Uh, don't you mean 00-Obasi?

OBASI: Copy that, 00-Dolo.

[ELEPHANT TRUMPETING]

Ah!

JOY DOLO: Ah! It's a call from our super secret spy line.

H: Agents, what's the status of the Josephine Baker case? Time is running out.

JOY DOLO: Well, we've been following a lot of leads, like how Josephine followed her dreams of becoming a dancer by going to New York when she was a teenager.

HANNA DIAMOND: Hmm.

OBASI: And get this, she was offered a chance to dance in Paris.

JOY DOLO: But unlike the United States, in Europe, she found herself able to move freely, perform, and mingle with Black and white people.

H: Interesting. But remember, the mission was to search for lesser known stories about Josephine Baker's life. Agents, I'm going to need to pull this case from if you can't--

JOY DOLO: No! Wait, H. Just give us a little more time.

OBASI: Yeah, I think we're close. We found some of Josephine's old sheet music. And there's some secret writing on it.

H: A promising clue. This could be the break you've been looking for. I'll give you until the end of the day to come back with some answers. And be on the lookout for a special communiqué, code word, "Diamond."

JOY DOLO: Thanks, H. You won't regret this.

H: Over and out.

JOY DOLO: Hmm. Let me see that old sheet music. Oh! There's a date on it. It looks like 1940-something, but it's smudged. I can't quite make it out.

OBASI: Well, 1940 is when many countries all over the world split into two sides that fought each other. It was called World War II.

JOY DOLO: It was a complicated time with neighboring countries turning against each other. Obasi, you said you like World War II history. What was happening in the early 1940s?

OBASI: So there were three main countries trying to get as much land and power as they could-- Italy, Japan, and Germany.

JOY DOLO: The German soldiers were called Nazis. They were led by Adolf Hitler, who was fueled by racism and hatred, especially for Jewish people.

SPEAKER 13: April 9, Norway invaded. One month later, Holland falls. Beloved queen Wilhelmina seeks refuge abroad. May 28, Leopold, King of the Belgians, surrenders, and the world despairs. June 5, the critical battle of France begins. While France fights for its life, Italy marches beside Germany.

JOY DOLO: European countries, like Great Britain, Russia, and France, joined forces to fight back. Aside from wars on the battlefield, there also were wars of information. Spies crisscrossed Europe to gather secrets that could help their side win.

[ELEPHANT TRUMPETING]

SPEAKER 14: 00-Obasi, 00-Dolo.

JOY DOLO: Oh, whoa! Whoa! This is a top secret communication device with a highly secure password. Who goes there?

HANNA DIAMOND: Hi, I'm Hanna Diamond.

JOY DOLO: Oh! Diamond, the secret code word that H mentioned.

OBASI: Hi, Hanna. Do you perhaps know anything about the famous entertainer Josephine Baker?

HANNA DIAMOND: Well, it just so happens that I've written a book about Josephine Baker's life during World War II. Stand by for dossier transmission.

OBASI: Whoa, Joy. Hanna just emailed us a ton of information about Josephine. Check it out.

JOY DOLO: Hmm. Yes, I see. It's about a French spy from World War II named Jacques Abtey.

OBASI: Here, look. It says this Jacques guy knew Josephine Baker.

JOY DOLO: And that he traveled with her as a manager or something.

HANNA DIAMOND: In reality, he was her spy handler.

OBASI: Wait. Josephine Baker was--

JOY AND OBASI: A spy?

JOY DOLO: So this spy guy, Jacques, was just pretending to be her manager?

OBASI: He was helping her to carry out missions. And he was able to travel in disguise, and nobody noticed him, because Josephine Baker was such a big star. And all people did was look at her.

JOY DOLO: Whoa! Josephine was a huge star and a spy, just like me. Oh. Huh! Does this mean every celebrity is also a super secret spy? Beyoncé, Chappell Roan, Jason Momoa, Darren Hayes of Savage Garden, Ariana Grande--

OBASI: Joy!

JOY DOLO: Octavia--

OBASI: Joy, focus! It all makes sense. Josephine had this perfect cover. She was a huge celebrity, so no one suspected her. She could hide in plain sight.

JOY DOLO: But how does singing and dancing get an enemy's secrets? Do you know, Hanna?

HANNA DIAMOND: Well, she was able to get invitations to embassies and places where there were people gathering, because she wanted to find out what they were thinking about the Second World War. For example, she managed to get into the Italian embassy and listened to what people said.

JOY DOLO: Oh, I get it. Even though Italy and France were fighting during World War II, Josephine was still a beloved performer. And everybody loves a celebrity. So getting invited to special events, even those on the enemy side, didn't look out of the ordinary.

OBASI: And she'd overhear secrets there. How did she remember everything so she could tell the French Army?

JOY DOLO: Yeah. There was no internet or text messaging. What happened, Hanna?

HANNA DIAMOND: Well, the story is that she would write sometimes on her arm, or she would write on tiny bits of paper that she would pin on the insides of her clothes, sometimes in her underwear, or she would wear these big skirts, and hide them in the folds of the skirt. And she would say, famously, no one would ever dare to search Josephine Baker. And in this way she was able to pass through borders and carry this information to the people who needed to know.

JOY DOLO: Ooh, a tres chic sneak.

HANNA DIAMOND: Sometimes she didn't know the content of the information that she smuggled through the borders. It was written in invisible ink. And sometimes even it was coded as well.

OBASI: I bet that's what's in the folder we found the papers that look like sheet music with the coded messages.

JOY DOLO: Obasi, you're right. But why was she doing all this? She had a super successful career as a singer and dancer. Why did she become a spy?

OBASI: OK. Think about this. During World War II, Germany invaded France, and Josephine loved France. The people there had welcomed her as an equal. And she wanted to protect it.

JOY DOLO: So cool. It sounds like she took tons of risks to do this spy work.

OBASI: Joy, check out this picture that Hanna sent over. It's Josephine, but she looks older.

JOY DOLO: Huh. And she's at some kind of huge gathering with a microphone in front of her. Zooming in. And she's wearing her French uniform. It's covered with medals. Obasi, look the Croix de Guerre.

OBASI: France's highest military honor. Wow! That's some medal.

JOY DOLO: Yeah. So I guess after the war, France celebrated all she did. She became a celebrity and a war hero. Oh, and look! The picture is dated August 28, 1963, the date of the March on Washington.

OBASI: So she made it back to the US. The March on Washington was a huge protest in Washington, DC.

JOY DOLO: Hundreds of thousands of people gathered to demand equal treatment for Black Americans.

OBASI: It's also where Martin Luther King Jr. made his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.

JOY DOLO: And it looks like Josephine gave a speech, too.

OBASI: What does the transcript say? Swipe to the next document.

JOY DOLO: Josephine said, after so many long years of struggle, fighting here and elsewhere, for your rights, our rights, the rights of humanity, the rights of man, I'm glad that you have accepted me to come. I didn't ask you. I didn't have to. I just came because it was my duty.

OBASI: Then she ends. You are on the eve of complete victory. Continue on. You can't go wrong. The world is behind you.

JOY DOLO: Wow! So during World War II, when France was invaded, she fought for them. And then years later, after the war ended, she kept fighting for equality.

OBASI: Right. She wanted Black people in the US to be treated the same as white people.

JOY DOLO: Incredible. Nice work, 00-Obasi. And thanks, Hanna. We couldn't have done it without you.

HANNA DIAMOND: Goodbye.

[ELEPHANT TRUMPETING]

OBASI: That must be H. I can't wait to share what we found.

H: Time's up, agents. What have you got for me?

OBASI: We checked into Josephine Baker's life. From growing up in a segregated country, she followed her dreams to become a dancer and move to New York.

JOY DOLO: Then at 19, she got her big break-- a chance to perform at a show in Paris.

OBASI: The people of Paris had never seen someone who danced like her. She made silly faces while her limbs shot out in all different directions. Soon, she became a mega superstar in Europe.

JOY DOLO: And here's the kicker. During World War II, Josephine became a spy for France.

OBASI: Her celebrity status was the perfect disguise. She could travel freely, meet influential people, and smuggle out their secrets.

JOY DOLO: And she never stopped being a champion of equal rights in France and in the United States.

H: Wow! Great work, 00's! If Josephine Baker were still around today, I'd think she'd fit right in as an agent of HERMIE. Now, for your next assignment, I'm putting you on the Limburger experiment. It's a very important case to find the absolute stinkiest cheese in history.

OBASI: Thumbs down!

JOY DOLO: Thumbs down! Thumbs down!

This episode was written by--

MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.

JOY DOLO: It was produced by--

NICO WISLER: Nico Gonzalez Wisler.

JOY DOLO: And--

RUBY GUTHRIE: Ruby Guthrie.

JOY DOLO: Fact checking by--

NICO WISLER: Nico Gonzalez Wisler.

JOY DOLO: It was edited by--

SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.

JOY DOLO: Engineering help from Jess Berg and Nate Scholl with sound design by--

RACHEL BREES: Rachel Brees.

JOY DOLO: Original theme music by--

MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.

JOY DOLO: We had additional production help from the rest of the Brains On! universe team.

MOLLY BLOOM: Molly Bloom.

ROSIE DUPOINT: Rosie duPont.

ANNA GOLDFIELD: Anna Goldfield.

LAUREN HUMBERT: Lauren Humbert.

JOSHUA RAY: Joshua Ray.

MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.

CHARLOTTE TRAVER: Charlotte Traver.

ANNA WEGGEL: Anna Weggel.

JOY DOLO: And--

ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Aron Woldeslassie.

JOY DOLO: Beth Pearlman is our executive producer. And the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Cavoti and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Dr. Arlisha Norwood, Hanna Diamond, and Kimberly Callow. Hanna's book, Josephine Baker's Secret War, came out earlier this year. It's all about Baker's time as a spy.

OK, Obasi, are you ready to hear the answers for First Things First?

OBASI: Yeah, I'm super ready. But I'm also pretty nervous.

JOY DOLO: Oh, don't be nervous! This is the best part. Just a reminder, we're putting these three dance crazes in order. And you said, number one was the Hokey Pokey, number two was the Cha-Cha Slide, and number three was the Macarena. Are you ready to hear what the answer is?

OBASI: Yep.

JOY DOLO: OK. You know what? You did pretty good.

OBASI: All right.

JOY DOLO: So first up was the Hokey Pokey. You were absolutely right.

OBASI: Ooh.

JOY DOLO: "The Hokey Pokey" by the Ray Anthony Orchestra was invented in 1953. And so in this version, it's the one we know today, but several people have tried to take credit for writing it. It was released as a double A side single, which means two hits on one record. The other song was "The Bunny Hop." So that was number one.

And then second was "The Macarena." And so "The Macarena" was by Los Del Rio. And that came out in 1993. So you were absolutely right about the '90s.

OBASI: Hmm.

JOY DOLO: Yeah. So the Bayside Boys remix version is the one most people are familiar with. They added English lyrics. And it got as high as 45 in the Billboard charts in 1995.

OBASI: That's pretty high.

JOY DOLO: That's pretty high. And I was eight years old, just so everybody knows. That's-- don't add up how old I am now. So Los Del Rio is from Spain and had released 31 albums before finally landing on their big hit, "The Macarena." There are many different versions of the song, including one that lasts 18 minutes.

OBASI: That's pretty long.

JOY DOLO: I don't know if I can Macarena that long. I think I've got a good seven, probably, in me.

So last, but certainly not least, is "The Cha-Cha Slide" by DJ Casper. And that one came out in 2000. So the actual name of this song is "Cha-Cha Slide Part 2." The lyrics were made up for DJ Casper's nephew, who taught the moves in an aerobics class. That is so cool!

Originally called "Casper Slide Part 1," DJ Casper used a piece of music by an artist called JD. He decided to rerecord his own music with a band he put together. And the song has been playing at weddings, school dances, and dance clubs all over the world ever since. Have you ever danced to "The Cha-Cha Slide" at a wedding or a school dance?

OBASI: Oh, I've danced to it so many times at school dances or during PE, too.

JOY DOLO: Yeah. Cha-Cha real smooth.

[VOCALIZING]

Turn it out. That's one of my favorite-- one of my favorite dances.

OBASI: Yeah.

JOY DOLO: Were you surprised by any of these answers?

OBASI: Quite a bit. Because I mean "The Cha-Cha Slide" in 2000? That seemed more like the '90s.

JOY DOLO: Yeah, yeah. I mean, it was fairly close. It was right on the cusp of it, right at the turn of the century, if you will.

OBASI: Yeah.

JOY DOLO: But it wasn't that long. I'm surprised that "The Hokey Pokey" was from 1953. I thought it would be from way earlier. Cool. But you did a great job. You got the first one.

OBASI: Yeah.

JOY DOLO: "Hokey Pokey," nailed it. You did so great. We'll be back next week with a new episode all about school uniforms.

OBASI: Thanks for listening.