- Title: Disco celebrated at Library of Congress with Gloria Gaynor performance
- Date: 7th May 2017
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGER GLORIA GAYNOR SAYING: "For someone from such humble beginnings, to come to a place where people are thinking of me as history, as something that I've done as historic, and invaluable enough, and important enough to be preserved for future generations, it's such an honor. I'm so happy about it. It's overwhelming. I only wish my mother were here to share this with me." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE DANCING INSIDE READING ROOM AT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, DURING 'SILENT PARTY' ZOOM-OUT OF BOOK SHELF IN READING ROOM TO 'SILENT PARTY'
- Embargoed: 21st May 2017 06:29
- Keywords: Library of Congress 'Bibliodiscoteque' music disco song performance Gloria Gaynor
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Celebrities,Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News
- Reuters ID: LVA0066FU98AV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. turned back the clock and celebrated disco song and dance with a unique event called 'Bibliodiscoteque' on Saturday (May 6). The program featured Grammy-winning Disco legend Gloria Gaynor headlining a dance party in the Library's Great Hall.
Bibliodiscoteque is a series of collective programs memorializing the influence of disco on society and has been running since April 12. It celebrates disco as a force that "changed American art, fashion, language and sound" beyond the 70s and 80s, organizers said.
The Library of Congress called it an "unprecedented exploration of disco culture." It culminated on Saturday with Gaynor's performance of 'I Will Survive' in the Great Hall of the Library. Earlier on Saturday, the program included a so-called 'silent dance party' in the Library's Reading Room, where disco fans donned wireless headphones while listening to music played by live DJs in ambient 'silence'. Security guards at the event said they had never seen anything like it performed at the Library of Congress.
In 2016, Gaynor's song 'I Will Survive' was inducted into the Library's National Recording Registry, something the icon of the 70s said was a humbling experience in an interview with Reuters. She won the Grammy for best disco song in 1980.
The event was co-organized by Brightest Young Things, The Recording Academy, Capital Pride, and others. Now that she's made her mark in history, Gaynor said she hopes her enduring legacy will be to "to uplift, to encourage, to inspire, [and] to empower people." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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