Jamiroquai

比起主流的「英國流行樂團」，Jamiroquai標(biāo)榜的是更純正的英國放克樂風(fēng)，因此，在不愿迎合以大肆宣傳為導(dǎo)向的英國流行音樂市場的前提下，他們的唱片銷售成績可想而知并不算是頂尖的。 Jamiroquai 成軍于1992年。他們的經(jīng)典專輯“When You Gonna Learn?”，當(dāng)時由倫敦一家獨立廠牌“Acid Jazz”發(fā)行，立刻在地下音樂界引起廣大的回響。當(dāng)時在酒吧撐場面的樂手，所做出的作品可說俗濫不堪，且普遍自以為是行家，其實毫無思想；Jamiroquai 的出現(xiàn)，改革了當(dāng)時三流酒吧樂團所造成的不良風(fēng)氣。不僅僅是那些混酒吧的人喜歡他們，一向熱愛靈魂樂、放克音樂、狄斯可舞曲以及一般識才的樂迷都一致認(rèn)同Jamiroquai的音樂成就。在一場唱片公司的爭奪戰(zhàn)后，Jamiroquai 最后選擇和新力音樂旗下的S2唱片簽下一只由其代為發(fā)行八張專輯的合同。他們的才華、獨特的樂風(fēng)及群眾魅力皆受到肯定，這些條件也奠定了他們歌唱事業(yè)恒久不斷的基礎(chǔ)。 主唱Jay Kay性喜高談闊論，有時也因他直率的個性而成為爭議性人物。當(dāng)首張專輯 &Emergency On Planet Earth&(地球警訊）一發(fā)行，立刻引起媒體的爭相報導(dǎo)，并于1993 年 6月榮登全英專輯榜冠軍寶座，也使得Jamiroquai成為該年度英國首張專輯銷售成績最佳的團體。
 
在'97年紅透半邊天之前，Jamiroquai就已是家鄉(xiāng)英國當(dāng)?shù)刈钍軞g迎的樂團之一。1993年的&Emergency On Planet Earth&專輯單單在英國就賣出五十萬張，更以迅雷不及掩耳之勢登上全英冠軍王座，其銷售成績更勇踞全年所有新進(jìn)藝人首張專輯銷售紀(jì)錄之冠。他們的第二張專輯“Return Of The Space Cowboy”（太空牛仔回城），再次證明了其充滿靈性熱情的音樂早已超越語言及文化的藩蘺，在歐洲其它國家及日本也同樣廣受歡迎，不僅延續(xù)了首張專輯的狂熱銷售量，在日本及歐洲其它地區(qū)造成一片流行風(fēng)潮。這張專輯在英國本土并獲頒白金唱片銷售成績證明。而在Jamiroquai 發(fā)行的第三張專輯”Travelling Without Moving”（心馳神往）里，顯而易見的是主唱 Jay Kay延續(xù)以往的洋溢才華，及 Jamiroquai 對其音樂完整性的堅持與從不妥協(xié)的態(tài)度，這些因素促使他們一如預(yù)期擢升為全球音樂的新勢力。席卷全球的熱潮自是不在話下，叫好又叫座的佳績讓Jamiroquai儼然成為新生代最酷的靈魂舞曲代言人！
 
Jamiroquai的音樂取自許多不同世代人們的思想、多樣的生活型態(tài)及音樂偏好，這種受到多方面影響所融合而成的折衷式樂風(fēng)，也成為這個團體的特色。有些對非主流音樂市場樂風(fēng)改變敏感度較高的人，根本漠視當(dāng)時所謂主流的音樂趨勢，而獨鐘情于Jamiroquai 獨特的唱腔。那時居排行榜十名內(nèi)的單曲，例如 「Too Young To Die」、「Blow Your Mind」以及「Return Of The Space Cowboy」等等，一直到現(xiàn)在，人們依然愛不釋手，回響熱烈。Jamiroquai 也是極少數(shù)被視為現(xiàn)場演出品質(zhì)保證的團體之一，出身于酒吧／舞廳的現(xiàn)場表演場合的他們，摒棄在當(dāng)時那個競爭激烈的環(huán)境中常期慣用的播放錄音帶或是音樂錄像帶的草率方式，而改以現(xiàn)玚演出的方式來帶動氣氛；這是他們的中心哲學(xué)，也是他們最終的企盼－馬不停蹄的全世界巡回演出也為他們募集了不少熱情的歌迷。
 
1997年以一首在移動地板上邊唱邊跳的「Virtual Insanity 」一舉囊括MTV音樂錄像帶大獎９項重要獎項提名，最后更獲「年度最佳音樂錄像帶」最大獎項的Jamiroquai，在歌壇五年的歷練后，終于在該年度獲得各界的高度肯定，不但唱片銷售直破七白金紀(jì)錄，更在1998年象征流行樂界最高榮譽的葛萊美獎上，以英國外來樂團之姿一舉拿下「最佳流行樂團」大獎。Jamiroquai 突破了種族固有制式化成見，以白人樂團的身份創(chuàng)作出圓熟融合 放克、Acid Jazz、靈魂、節(jié)奏藍(lán)調(diào)….等多樣原本被視做黑色藝人所擅長的各式音樂元素，而主唱及創(chuàng)作中樞Jay充滿濃郁靈魂味道的高音唱腔，更為Jamiroquai的音樂添入迥異于其它白人同儕團體的律動線。此外，樂團自出道以來即不斷強調(diào)環(huán)保觀念的歌詞，也證明他們是新一代中少見的良心團體。Jamiroquai對自己風(fēng)格的堅持，正反映出Jay對于音樂創(chuàng)作理念所懷持的極高熱忱，和一向的誠實態(tài)度。 Jamiroquai的音樂成績大家有目共睹，他們成熟駕馭誘人音樂元素的超凡功力，也的確是不同凡響!
 
by Greg Prato
 
Although some choose to pass off Jamiroquai as a Stevie Wonder-clone, the band has amassed a steady stream of hits in its native U.K. and has experienced chart success in just about every other area of the world with an irresistible blend of house rhythms and 70s-era soul/funk. The band has gone though several lineup changes during their career, but through it all their leader has remained singer/songwriter Jason Kay (aka J.K.). Born on December 30, 1969, in Stretford, Manchester, Kays mother, Karen, was a jazz singer who regularly performed at nightclubs, and in the 70s had her own TV show. After leaving home at the age of 15, Kay found himself homeless and in trouble with the law (by committing petty crimes to get by). After a near-death experience (where he was attacked and stabbed) and being arrested for a crime he did not commit, Kay decided to return home, where he chose to pursue a legitimate career over crime: music. Kay didnt have a band to back up his compositions, but he quickly came up with his future projects name, Jamiroquai, a name that combined the name of a Native American tribe (the Iroquois) along with the music-based word, jam.
 
Kays home demos caught the attention of the record label Acid Jazz, which issued Jamiroquais debut single When You Gonna Learn? in late 1992. With Kay enlisting the help of others (Jamiroquais best-known lineup included drummer Derrick McKenzie, keyboard player Toby Smith, bassist Stuart Zender, and vibraphonist Wallis Buchanan), the single was a success and was soon followed by a long-term and lucrative recording contract with Sony. Jamiroquais full-length debut, Emergency on Planet Earth, followed in 1993 and became a major hit in their native England (peaking at number one on the charts), spawning such Top Ten hit singles as Too Young to Die and Blow Your Mind. The bands second release, The Return of the Space Cowboy in 1995, managed to steer Jamiroquai clear of the sophomore jinx that affects so many up-and-coming bands by out-selling its predecessor in Europe and was a sizeable hit in Japan, as well.
 
With most of the world dancing to Jamiroquais beat, America was next in line for the bands third effort, 1996s Traveling Without Moving. The album spawned the worldwide hit Virtual Insanity, for which an award-winning video was filmed and helped the album achieve platinum status in the States by the years end (as well as a highlighted performance at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards). Despite achieving breakthrough success, bassist Zender opted to leave the group during sessions for its follow-up, which resulted in Kay scraping almost an entire albums worth of new tracks in order to start from scratch with a new bassist (the slot would eventually go to newcomer Nick Fyffe). During the downtime, Jamiroquai contributed a brand-new track, Deeper Underground, to the soundtrack for the 1998 movie Godzilla.
 
But the long wait between albums seemed to kill Jamiroquais momentum in the U.S., where a fourth release overall, 1999s Synkronized, was largely ignored (yet back home and across the globe, it was another major commercial success). Subsequently, it appeared as though the majority of Jamiroquais U.S. media attention focused on non-music related events, such as the band turning down a million-dollar offer to play at a concert on New Years Eve 1999, and when Kay was accused of assaulting a tabloid photographer (with the charges later being dropped). It didnt take Jamiroquai as long the next time around to issue another album, with A Funk Odyssey hitting the racks two years later in 2001. Kay also helmed a volume in the mix-album series Late Night Tales. From there, Jamiroquai spent the next two years gathering material for a sixth studio album. Dynamite, which was finally released in 2005, was written and recorded in Spain, Italy, Costa Rica, Scotland, New York, Los Angeles and Jamiroquais own Buckinghamshire studio.