A dance for Bogle : Latiesha Allen, the ‘common-law wife’ of influential dancer Gerald ‘Bogle’ Levy, will mark the 10th anniversary of his death with an event dubbed, ‘Mr Wacky aka Bogle 10th Memorial Dance Off’.

BY KEVIN JACKSON Observer Writer  Friday, January 09, 2015    

Latiesha Allen, the ‘common-law wife’ of influential dancer Gerald ‘Bogle’ Levy, will mark the 10th anniversary of his death with an event dubbed, ‘Mr Wacky aka Bogle 10th Memorial Dance Off’.

Bogle

It takes place January 16 at the Event Centre in Decatur, Georgia. The show will feature a host of Bogle’s colleagues including Dancehall Queen Carlene, dancers Boysie, Craigy Dread, Hope Hype, Dansa and the Wacky Family, as well as sound system Sound Decision and selectors Jiggy Hunks (formerly of Metro Media) and Bugsy Bam Bam. Bogle, 40, was shot and killed January 20, 2005 in Kingston, shortly after leaving the popular Weddy Weddy dance.

No one has been prosecuted for his murder. “Bogle memorial is an event I keep every year in Jamaica or here in the United States. I do this in honour of a dancehall icon gone too soon,” said Allen in an interview with Spl a s h. Allen, who lives in New York, believes Bogle has not been given the respect he deserves for promoting dancehall culture.

Latiesha Allen

“He is the first male dancer from Jamaica to open the gates overseas for other dancehall dancers to be recognised,” she said. “He is internationally known and loved for his dance moves. He had Japanese, Americans, Europeans, Caribbean nationals an’ people from all over the world coming to Jamaica jus’ to see him perform.

He represented for our country.” Allen is calling for national recognition for the gangly Bogle whom she credits for “opening the eyes of millions of visitors to our island". more