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Friday April 3, 2009
Jam with Jamiroquai
By N. RAMA LOHAN
Hang on to your pacemakers as Jamiroquai burns some rubber at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend.
JENSON BUTTON ace-ing the Australian Grand Prix is now history. All eyes are trained on the 11th Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend when the first twilight race goes under way at 5pm. If for some strange reason the action on the circuit doesn’t get the pulses racing, then the entertainment in store for race day on Sunday – Grand Prix Party – is sure to ignite the senses.
American R&B band Naturally 7, hip hop act Maliq & D’ Essentials, DJ outfit Twilight Actiongirl and international funk-rock phenomenon Jamiroquai are all slated to scald the Sepang turf (at the helipad area outside the circuit) with high-octane entertainment.
Headliner Jamiroquai, with its sixth studio album Dynamite tucked under its belt, will shake the foundations for 90 minutes with its potent amalgam of funk, disco, acid jazz, rock and pop. Now a certified multi-platinum act, with over 21 million albums sold worldwide from a career spanning 17 years, the British band is expected to serve up numerous chart-busting hits and album tracks from Dynamite and classic albums like Emergency On Planet Earth, Travelling Without Moving and A Funk Odyssey.
Jay Kay: ‘It’s going to be great and I’m really excited to be here to watch the race.’
The Manchester-formed band arrives on Malaysian soil with an entourage that includes its enigmatic frontman Jay Kay (vocals), band members Matt Johnson (keyboards), Rob Harris (guitar), Paul Turner (bass), Derrick McKenzie (drums), Sola Akingbola (percussion) and a small troupe of backing vocalists.
During a press conference on Wednesday, the effervescent Kay enthused over the potential of catching an F1 race in this part of the world. “It’s nice to see everything jigged up ... to see the less-established names amongst the more established ones. I think it’s all good. It’s going to be great and I’m really excited to be here to watch the race.”
The band began its illustrious career as part of the acid jazz movement in Britain in the early 1990s, a time that spawned the likes of the Brand New Heavies (which incidentally Kay had unsuccessfully auditioned for before forming Jamiroquai), Incognito, Galliano and Corduroy, among others.
And as the name implies, the band’s early material possessed an improvised quality (jam) while the second half of the name is based on the native American tribe Iroquois (iroquai). While Jamiroquai’s early output seemed an earthy blend of tribal and acid jazz elements (the band had a dedicated didgeridoo player), the band’s sound somewhat evolved over the years to a more sophisticated, urban, disco-inflected vibe.
The band’s last three albums, Synkronized, A Funk Odyssey and Dynamite, captured this transition perfectly. These albums may have alienated some fans but they have certainly garnered new ones, too. Kay admits, though, that an artiste has to be true to himself first and foremost.
“It’s difficult because you do what you want to do but you also have a huge fan base who likes the first album, in which there is more of an organic, live feel. And there are also people who like the fourth and fifth albums, which are more electronic and programmed.”
Now relinquished from its Sony Music contract, the band’s upcoming seventh studio album is expected to be released later this year under Columbia Records.
“This is going to be a fresh start for the band, with a slightly different sound. Now we are going back to the older style, with a lot of brass in it ... not necessarily retro. It’s difficult to change your style. Besides, I think the style comes from the voice. But this is certainly something we are looking forward to,” he added.
Kay counts his blessings for being able to continue doing what he loves to over the years. “I’m quite lucky to be still doing this for 17 years now. I think a lot of bands do things for three or four years and you don’t hear of them anymore. But it’s hard work and it’s paid off. And it’s because of the great people out there who like music.”
A watershed moment for the band occurred with its super-smash single Virtual Insanity, a tune that perfectly encapsulates the dawn of the Internet age. The Jonathan Glazer-directed video (a certified classic) bagged four awards for the band at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.
As much as Kay has attempted to deflect attention from himself as the main force behind the band, Jamiroquai is often recognised as a vehicle for his immeasurable talent, which includes his unorthodox dancing – a Michael Jackson-meets-Peter Crouch (yes, think robot crane) jig that has become a Kay staple.
And speaking of vehicle, what better way to celebrate race day than with a true automobile aficionado? Kay is a sportscar fanatic and has amassed an impressive collection of wheels (40 in total), with Italian manufacturer Ferrari striking a particular chord with him. Even a recent incident where a hotel chef wrecked his £1mil Ferrari Enzo (the inspiration to his song Black Devil Car) – leaving the skateboarding enthusiast with a hefty £30,000 bill – won’t dampen his spirits come race day.
And when he’s speeding down the highway, what does the man listen to? “It’s a little known fact I’m a bit of a classical fan. But it can vary from anything from Blondie to Earth, Wind and Fire. A bit of rock, a bit of jazz ... some Coltrane and Charlie Mingus ... a really eclectic mix of stuff.”
Jamiroquai expects to kick off a world tour early next year in the Asian region where the singer finds the weather more suitable during that period.
“It’s just too cold to do it in Europe then and we like to follow the sun. We like to start in the Southern Hemisphere and then work our way upwards to when the temperature is more sensible,” he quipped.