Jamiroquai

Jamiroquai  are a British jazz funk and acid jazz band led by singer Jay Kay. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, the Brand New Heavies, Galliano, and Corduroy. The original band members were Toby Smith (keyboards), Nick van Gelder (drums), Stuart Zender (bass), Wallis Buchanan (vibraphone) and Jay Kay (lead singer).

1992 was the year it all truly began. Jamiroquai’s debut single “When You Gonna Learn?” was played on Kiss FM and then released on record label Acid Jazz. Shortly after that, Kay signed an unprecedented £1 million, eight-album record deal, with Sony’s label “S2” (now known as Sony BMG Music Entertainment). It was a gamble for Sony, as at that stage, Kay was relatively unknown. It was a gamble, however, that paid off. To date, that deal has included sales of over twenty million albums and five world tours. Seven of the eight albums have been released, all of them huge successes.

Jamiroquai is recognised the world over and their music is undoubtedly danceable and their live act, electrifying. They’re not, however, all about funky visuals and good tunes, Kay always has an opinion about the world and mankind, and he isn’t afraid to share it. He gets the message across in his lyrics. The mercurial debut album, “Emergency on Planet Earth” (1993), full of soulful grooves and flowing jazz instrumentals, dealt with climate change, wars of power-hungry dictators, and world poverty.

“The Return of the Space Cowboy” (1994) followed, a raw and dark observation of inner-city life. The album that was to make Jamiroquai a global phenomenon, “Travelling Without Moving” (1996), also came with a warning about the dangers of biogenetic engineering. These concerns are today mirrored in the debate over cloning and donor babies. Strangely enough, the Grammy-winning single from the album, ‘Virtual Insanity’ (1996), was released on the day Dolly the Sheep was born. It won four awards at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, for Best Video, Best Special Effects, Best Cinematography, and Breakthrough Video. ‘Cosmic Girl’ (1996) was another huge hit single from this album, which helped Jamiroquai establish a hold on the American market.

Jamiroquai’s hit single ‘Deeper Underground’ (1998) was in the soundtrack of the movie “Godzilla” (1998). ‘Canned Heat’, a single from the next album “Synkronized” (1999), was featured in two films, “Center Stage” (2000) and “Napoleon Dynamite” (2004).

“Synkronized” (1999) and the multi-platinum “A Funk Odyssey” (2001) were two deeply personal albums for Kay and showed a shift in musical direction. Less evident were the acid jazz sounds and stonger was the pull towards funk and disco. This brought further commercial success for the band, with the single ‘Little L’ (2001) reaching number one in charts worldwide. Kay then took much-needed time out, to recuperate and recharge his energies.

“Late Night Tales: Jamiroquai” (2003) is a DJ mix album by Jamiroquai and is the tenth release in the “Late Night Tales” series.

After spending almost two years on the writing, recording and fine-tuning of the next album, Kay felt satisfied that it was worth the effort and was extremely proud of “Dynamite” (2005). It is probably their most diverse album, bringing together funk, disco, house, electronic and acoustic music. It was recorded in New York, Los Angeles, Costa Rica, Italy, Spain, Scotland, and in Kay’s studio in Buckinghamshire.

The single ‘Feels Just Like It Should’ (2005) reached number eight in the UK and number one, for six weeks, in the US. ‘Seven Days in Sunny June’ (2005) reached number 14 in its first week on the UK charts. Issues on this album surround world leadership, television evangelists and their moral credibility, and why there is so much hate in our modern world, often in the name of religion. Kay may have been quiet for a while, but he is back with feeling. The Jamiroquai sound is a little tighter, a little leaner and meaner, but it hasn’t lost any of its social conscience.

Many may view Kay in a poor light when looking at his tabloid headlines, his lifestyle, and his silly hats. However, it would be a mistake to underestimate him in any way. His fearless and forthright attitude may make him an easy target, but his heart is most certainly in the right place.

Kay has become somewhat of a style icon, much to his amusement, gaining a collection of GQ and Elle style awards. He leads something of the rockstar lifestyle, owning a Buckinghamshire mansion, with a purpose-built recording studio, a garage overflowing with expensive, fast cars, and his own helipad in the grounds. He has a hideaway home in Scotland, near Gairloch, which he uses to escape the rigours of fame.

The current Jamiroquai line-up is: Jason Kay (vocals), Derrick McKenzie (drums), Sola Akingbola (percussion), Rob Harris (guitar), Matt Johnson (keyboards), Paul Turner (bass), Lorraine McIntosh (backing vocals), Hazel Fernandez (backing vocals), Sam Smith (backing vocals).

[source : Jamiroquai]

Jamiroquai's Pictures and Wallpapers