Jamiroquai

Jamiroquai are a British group formed in Ealing in 1992. Led by vocalist Jay Kay, the band has remained active through many lineup changes, with Jay Kay as the only constant member.

Style and background

Jamiroquai begin in the London acid jazz scene of the early 1990s and later expand their sound to include funk, disco, electronic music, rock and Latin influences. Their work also sits within acid jazz, disco, funk, house and R&B. The group’s lyrics often address social and environmental themes.

Career and recordings

The band first records for Acid Jazz Records before moving to Sony, where they achieve wider commercial success. Their albums Emergency on Planet Earth, Synkronized and A Funk Odyssey all reach number one on the UK Albums Chart. Travelling Without Moving becomes the best-selling funk album in history according to Guinness World Records.

The single Deeper Underground reaches number one on the UK Singles Chart. Another major release, Virtual Insanity, helps raise the band’s international profile; its video wins Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards and also earns a Grammy Award.

By 2017, Jamiroquai have sold more than 26 million albums worldwide.

Members

Members associated with the group include Wallis Buchanan, Toby Smith, Jay Kay, Nick Van Gelder, Maurizio Ravalico, Gavin Dodds, John Thirkell, Stuart Zender, DJ D-Zire, Derrick McKenzie, Simon Katz, Sola Akingbola, Nick Fyffe, Simon Carter, Samantha Smith, Rob Harris, Matt Johnson, Paul Turner, Howard Anderson, Hazel Fernandes, Dee Lewis, Lorraine McIntosh, Adrian Revell and Winston Rollins.