More often than not, air travel goes smoothly: you (and your luggage) get from point A to point B without much trouble. But there are all kinds of things that can go wrong: long lines, annoying passengers, delays, cancellations, lost luggage, and missed connections, to name just a few. When Mashid Mazooji missed a connecting flight, it meant she’d be spending all night at the Charlotte airport.
Sleeping on a bench or in a chair wouldn’t have been very comfortable and might well have left Mashid feeling even less rested in the morning. Wander around the terminal like a zombie? That wouldn’t be very interesting. Then she had an idea: why not cue up some Lionel Richie and have a dance party?
Singer-songwriter Lionel Richie grew up in Tuskegee, Alabama and was already forming rhythm-and-blues groups when he was a teenager. Not yet 20, he joined The Commodores as a singer and saxophonist in 1968. Richie’s own musical tendencies were in the direction of romantic ballads and by 1982, he was ready to launch his solo career. In 1985, he and Michael Jackson collaborated to produce “We Are the World” for the Live Aid concert.
Appropriately enough, Mashid chose Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” for her impromptu airport dance party. In this 1983 hit, Richie blended Caribbean influences with the soulful sound that was characteristic of The Commodores. With the terminal nearly empty, the dancing didn’t get in anyone’s way and was a nice break in routine for the airline and airport staff who were working the graveyard shift. Some bleary-eyed fellow travelers couldn’t resist getting in on the fun, either.
Check out the video posted below and let us know what you thought of this creative way to pass the time at the airport. Is it something you’d be tempted to do? What would your choice of dance music be? Let us know in the comments at Facebook and be sure to like and share!