“Let The Music Play” by Shannon

By the early 80’s there was a backlash against disco, and dance music slipped from heavy rotation and back into the night clubs and independent recording studios it originally came from. One producer on the frontlines of this innovative electro / post disco scene was a Bronx born DJ and newly hired Emergency Records employee, Chris Barbosa.

Barbosa found influence from his Latin-American Roots as well as Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock.”  He teamed up with Ed Chisolm, engineer Mark Liggett, and local college student Brenda “Shannon” Greene. Together, they produced “Let the Music Play.”
Originally released on Emergency Records on October 19th 1983, “Let the Music Play” found its way to the top of the charts, into every nightclub, and helped launch the career of Shannon. It even found its way onto the Breakin' soundtrack…
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“Let the Music Play” was not only successful, but is considered the first “freestyle” song, a subgenre of dance music made famous by Stevie B, the Cover Girls and Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. It’s also considered the first song to begin the “dance-pop” era, which is still loved today.