Go-go music is now the official sound of D.C.
Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a bill into law on Wednesday making go-go the official music of the nation’s capital. Celebrating the moment, Bowser said during a rally, “Today, we’re going to let the world know that go-go is D.C.”
The news comes a year at the #DontMuteDC movement began, which was sparked when residents near a Metro PCS vendor complained about the store blasting go-go music.
The bill was introduced by D.C. council member Kenyan R. McDuffie in June, McDuffie called go-go “the very fabric of the city’s cultural and artistic expression.”
“To me, and so many other native Washingtonians, Go-go music has become so much more than just a musical genre,” the councilman said. “Designating Go-go the official music of the city signals to those who have been here and to those who continue to move here, that this music represents the lived experiences of native Washingtonians. It codifies into law that Go-Go will never be muted in the District of Columbia.”
After signing the bill into law, Mayor Bowser tweeted, “Go-Go is the heartbeat of the District. Its rhythm gives life to our cultural soul.”