Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson was a band leader and dancer who made a significant contribution to British Jazz. Born in Guyana, his parents sent him to England for schooling at age 14. After starting university he left school to work as a dancer. In 1934 he toured the Caribbean and then spent a bit of time in Harlem where he continued to hone his tap dancing and added more African-American dance styles to his repertoire including the hip winding step that soon became his trademark. While he was in Harlem he met Fletcher Henderson who encouraged Johnson to become a band leader. Henderson even let Johnson conduct his orchestra.
Returning to the UK in 1936 Johnson teamed up with Leslie Thompson to form a nearly all-black dance band that set out to bring the swinging style of Harlem to the UK. By 1938 Johnson had taken over as band leader, styling himself like Cab Calloway. His band, the West Indian Dance Orchestra, quickly became the premier swing band in Britain, ‘appearing’ in several BBC radio broadcasts. In addition to their magnificent swinging sound, they also incorporated choreographed dance moves and showmanship, in the style of the popular African-American swing bands of the time.
Though the start of WWII interrupted the band’s plans to tour internationally, they were very much in demand with the London clubs that continued to operate through the blitz. They became the house band at the Café de Paris, one of London’s premiere music venues. The club was underground, literally, under the Rialto cinema and was advertised as “the safest and gayest restaurant in town – even in air raids”. Despite this claim, Café de Paris was dealt a devastating blow during a German bombing raid in March 1941. Several members of the West Indian Dance Orchestra were severely injured. Johnson and one of the band’s saxophonist, were killed instantly.
The band broke up shortly after but many of the remaining band members were snapped up by other dance bands of the era most of which had not previously employed Black musicians. In addition to bringing swing music to the UK Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson is credited with leading the way for more racially-integrated bands.
Though Johnson is remembered for his profound impact on British Jazz music, he was primarily a dancer rather than a musician. According to one colleague “he couldn’t tell a B flat from a pig’s foot!” His story really illustrates the symbiosis of jazz music and jazz dance.
Further Reading/Listening
Most of the information here came from this brilliant Wikipedia article which is worth reading in its entirety: Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson Wikpedia article
West Indian Dance Orchestra’s lovely up tempo version of Tuxedo Junction
West Indian Dance Orchestra’s Snakehips Swing
If you don’t have much Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson in your music collection we highly recommend going out and getting some! This album has a number of good tracks: Black British Swing: The African Diaspora’s Contribution To England’s Own Jazz of the 1930s and 1940s by Various Artists
Swing Dance Leeds 