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discotheque

nightclub
Also known as: disco

Quick Summary

The term "discotheque" originates from the French word for a dance-oriented nightclub. These establishments, which first appeared in the 1960s, played recorded music for dancing. Disco, a beat-driven style of popular and dance music that emerged in the 1970s, took its name from these discotheques. Early disco clubs catered to Black, gay, and Latino communities, featuring deejays who curated extended sets to keep patrons dancing. While disco music peaked in popularity in the late 1970s, it influenced genres like house and techno and has seen a resurgence in the form of nu-disco.123

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