Funk and disco legend since the 1970s, Kool & The Gang boosts the festival's mood with its show combining irresistible groove and jazzy arrangements.
It all began in 1964, when brothers Ronald and Robert "Kool" Bell decided to form a band with their friends from Jersey City. Merging jazz, soul and funk, the band was originally called The Jazziacs and tried out a number of names before selecting the one that would mark its history: Kool & the Gang. After honing their musical alchemy on the East Coast scene, the group signed their first eponymous album, which propelled it into the Billboard R&B charts with its instrumental style and punchy brass instruments. They were soon winning Grammy Awards and in 1979 they released the album Ladies Night. Smoother than the earlier albums, this one went platinum, in particular with its eponymous flagship hit. The band's success then went global with hits such as Celebration, Get Down On It, Take My Heart and Cherish. With the explosion of hip-hop in the 1990s, Kool & the Gang. became one of the most sampled groups in history, just behind James Brown. Its beats and groove inspire artists such as the Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Madonna and Janet Jackson, and the band has provided the soundtracks for cult films such as Rocky, Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction. In 2024, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which honours the most influential figures in rock. A consecration for Kool & the Gang, which continues to get people dancing with its timeless hits.
