meta-scriptGRAMMY Camp — Basic Training Set For Feb. 8 | GRAMMY.com

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GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training Set For Feb. 8

GRAMMY winners Pepe Aguilar and Warryn Campbell among participants to offer music career close-ups to L.A.-area students

GRAMMYs/Dec 3, 2014 - 05:06 am

The GRAMMY Foundation has announced the annual GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training will take place during GRAMMY Week on Feb. 8 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Top music industry professionals and artists set to attend the event are current GRAMMY nominee Pepe Aguilar; songwriter/producer Evan Bogart; GRAMMY-winning producer Warryn Campbell and engineer Manny Marroquin; singers/songwriters BC Jean and Sarah Darling; video director Matthew Cherry; songwriter/producer Eman; actor Roshon Fegan (Disney Channel's "Shake It Up"); saxist Miguel Gandelman and percussionist Kevin Ricard; members of the Latin GRAMMY-nominated La Santa Cecilia; Siriux XM Radio and KISS-FM on-air personality DJ Skee; and producer/drummer Vince Wilburn Jr.

Other participants include Diana Beas, head of licensing and Latin music for Secret Road Music Services; Didi Benami, singer/songwriter; Amanda Berman, senior director of A&R at EMI Music Publishing; Ryan Chisholm, talent manager, Bill Silva Entertainment; DJ Hapa, national brand director of Scratch DJ Academy; Scott Igoe, music talent booker, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"; Chad Greer, founder, Dirt Road Entertainment; Thornell Jones, Fortress Marketing; Kevin Korn, Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency; Jasmine Marvin, general manager, My Block Records; Rickey Minor, "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" music director; Brandon Operchuck, director of performance venues, USC; Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Foundation; Christopher Sampson, associate dean for the USC Thornton School of Music; Brian Vinikoor, head of marketing and new media, Secret Road Music Services; Anthony Valadez, KCRW-FM DJ and entrepreneur; Larry Wade, executive vice president of the Writing Camp LLC; and Monica Young, Blue Key Management.         

More than 700 Los Angeles-area high school students will attend GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training to hear music industry professionals and artists discuss the realities of the music business and careers in the industry. GRAMMY Camp — Basic Training, a GRAMMY in the Schools initiative of the GRAMMY Foundation, is supported by the Fort Motor Company Fund and the Starkey Hearing Foundation, with additional funding provided by Best Buy and Converse.

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high definition and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio worldwide via Westwood One/Dial Global, and covered online at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com, and on YouTube.

Follow GRAMMY.com for our inside look at GRAMMY news, blogs, photos, videos, and of course nominees. Stay up to the minute with GRAMMY Live. Check out the GRAMMY legacy with GRAMMY Rewind. Explore this year's GRAMMY Fields. Or check out the collaborations at Re:Generation, presented by Hyundai Veloster. And join the conversation at Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

7 Incredible Sets From L.A.'s Bésame Mucho Fest: Maná, Natalia Lafourcade, Paquita La Del Barrio & More
Maldita Vecindad perform at L.A.'s Besame Mucho Fest

Photo: Justin James

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7 Incredible Sets From L.A.'s Bésame Mucho Fest: Maná, Natalia Lafourcade, Paquita La Del Barrio & More

More than 60 acts performed at the Bésame Mucho Festival, held Dec. 2 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. From Amanda Miguel to Pepe Aguilar, revisit a handful of the sets from the leading lights in Latin music.

GRAMMYs/Dec 4, 2023 - 08:04 pm

Diverse genres within Latin music were celebrated at the Bésame Mucho Festival on Dec. 2 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where more than 60 acts performed. At the second edition of the festival — which will boast an Austin, Texas edition in March 2024 —   artists performed an array of música Mexicana, rock en español, and Latin pop hits to a multi-generational crowd.

Iconic artists and bands performed on four massive stages: The Rockero, Las Clásicas, Te Gusta El Pop? and the Beso stages. Headliners included Cafe Tacvba, Los Bukis and Reik, while major acts such as Bomba Estereo, Los Angeles Azules, and Jesse & Joy added to the fest's wide-ranging sounds.

While a majority of acts were from Mexico, artists from Argentina, Colombia, and Spain were also in the mix. "It was nice to be considered part of such a cool catalog of bands," Luis Humberto Navejas, the lead singer of Latin rock group Enjambre, told GRAMMY.com.

The festival especially highlighted Mexican culture with giant installations of Maria rag dolls and colorful skeletons that are typical of the traditional Day of the Dead holiday. 

Read on to learn about what went down during seven standout sets at the Bésame Mucho Festival.

Enjambre Represented The Future Of Latin Rock

Enjambre was one of the first bands to hit the Rockero stage. While most of the Latin rock groups on the line-up predated the 2000s, Enjambre broke through in 2010 with their album Daltónico. Since, the Mexican group have charmed fans in their home country, the U.S. and beyond with their electronica-infused rock.

The band captivated the crowd and had them dancing to their futuristic rock anthems, including "Y La Esperanza," "Divergencia," and "Elemento." With a swagger (and black suit and black pair sunglasses for extra cool) lead singer Luis Humberto Navejas commanded the stage while wielding the microphone stand. Even as the band rocked out, Navejas' otherworldly voice cut through to capture the emotional depth behind each song, especially the nostalgic "Dulce Soledad." 

For their latest album Noches De Salón, Enjambre re-recorded their past hits with retro sounds. "We're shedding some light on these old and beautiful rhythms, like the cha-cha, danzón, bolero, and rancheras, that we love so much," Navejas told GRAMMY.com backstage. 

Amanda Miguel Ruled the Stage With Her Románticas

One of Mexico's most beloved pop icons is Amanda Miguel, who drew cheers from the crowd as she hit the Te Gusta El Pop? in a bright golden pantsuit. After growing up in Argentina, she became a naturalized citizen of Mexico and later made an impact throughout Latin America and the U.S. thanks to her collection of hit romantic songs. 

 "It's music that thanks to my fans keeps transcending generations," Miguel told GRAMMY.com backstage. "It's music that's very healing and beautiful. It's music that promotes love, which is what we need the most in the world."

While other acts brought out pyrotechnics and other visual attractions, Miguel relied solely on her powerhouse voice to command the stage. She seamlessly glided between her love songs, such as the sweet "Hagamos Un Trato" and heartbreak anthems like "Dudas." The pain behind "Él Me Mintió" was especially palpable in her emotional performance, though Miguel lightened the mood during the sensual "El Gato y Yo," where she wailed like a rocker.

Paquita La Del Barrio Didn’t Let Illness Slow Her Down

Even before Paquita La Del Barrio hit the Clásicas stage, the crowd was chanting her name. A pioneer for women in música Mexicana, the legend pushed back on machismo ingrained in Latinx culture with her female empowerment anthems.

Paquita La Del Barrio performed her biggest hits while seated, revealing that she was suffering from a throat illness, but that didn't stop her sticking it to the men that wronged her in the classics like "Cheque en Blanco" and "Me Saludas a la Tuya." The crowd went wild when she yelled her famous phrase in Spanish, "Are you listening to me, you good-for-nothing?"

Paquita La Del Barrio brought down the house with her emotional performance of "Rata De Dos Patas," in which she compares a cheating lover to a rat. At the end of her set, she stood up to say, "Since 1947, I’ve received more applause than money and that’s what matters most."

Gloria Trevi Put on an Unforgettable Pop Spectacle 

Gloria Trevi is one of Mexico's biggest pop icons and previously ranked as the most successful touring Mexican female artist. The 55-year-oldTrevu left it all on the stage during her larger-than-life pop spectacle and hits-filled set.

Trevi descended down a metal staircase that was uniquely part of her production in a fluffy pink coat. She revealed a white dress underneath that was studded with the colors of Mexico (Trevi's hour-long set included three costume changes). Singing and dancing with a team of male dancers, Tevi flipped around in the arms of her dancers to the glorious "Gloria" and later performed a split while singing "La Papa Sin Catsup." Trevi then crowd surfed while singing a rock-infused version of "Dr. Psiquiatra." 

She got the crowd going wild when she belted out her breakthrough hit "Pelo Suelto," concluding her set in a blaze of rainbow lasers with her fierce performance of "Todos Me Miran," an anthem for the LGBTQIA+ community. Trevi's Bésame performance was a preview of next year's Mi Soundtrack World Tour. 

Natalia Lafourcade Showed There’s No Limits To Latin Music

Natalia Lafourcade is known for infusing Latin music with elements of jazz, folk and alternative music — a style that has netted the Mexican singer\songwriter three GRAMMY awards and 17 Latin GRAMMYs. 

Lafourcade got to prove that her beloved songs are even more breathtaking in a live setting, arriving on the Rockero stage with guitar in hand. While performing a stirring rendition of "María La Curandera," she broke out into a jam session with her band. Lafourcade sang her breezy title track from De Todas Las Flores, which won Record Of The Year at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs and is nominated for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album at the 2024 GRAMMYs. Fellow nominees are Leche De Tigre by Diamante Eléctrico, Cabra's MARTÍNEZ, Vida Cotidiana by Juanes and Fito Paez's EADDA9223. 

When addressing the crowd, Lafourcade was notably inclusive with using "todes," which is a progressive and gender-neutral way of saying "everybody" in Spanish. She got the crowd dancing when she performed the cumbia version of her hit "Nunca Es Suficiente." Lafourcade drew cheers when she said in Spanish that toxic partners belonged in the trash. 

Maná Performed an Incredible Career-Spanning Set 

Maná is one of the most-celebrated Mexican acts with four GRAMMY awards and eight Latin GRAMMY awards. After wrapping up a sold-out 16 show residency at the Forum last month, the legendary rock group serenaded Bésame Mucho with its timeless classics.

In his black leather jacket and leather pants, lead singer Fher Olvera and his bandmates ripped through their greatest hits, including "Corazon Espinado" and the funky "Hechicera." The band struck a fine balance between their raucous classics like the unruly "Me Vale" and the heartfelt power ballads like "Mariposa Traicionera" and "Labios Compartidos."

Maná also performed rock-infused covers of "Bésame Mucho" in honor of the festival and "El Rey" by the late ranchera icon Vicente Fernández. The latter was done to pay homage to Fernández and the band's Mexican roots. A full-on dance party erupted in the crowd when Maná performed a fired-up rendition of "Oye Mi Amor."

Pepe Aguilar Serenaded Concert-Goers With His Love Songs

Over the course of his career, Pepe Aguilar has won four GRAMMYs and five Latin GRAMMYs. He proudly represented his country and mariachi music during his hour-long set.

Aguilar appeared on the Clásicas stage in his Mexican charro suit, which is typical of mariachi singers. While performing the sweeping ballad "Directo al Corazón," he removed his giant sombrero to place it over his heart. "After this medley, you'll fall in love with someone," Aguilar promised in Spanish. "Open your heart and let yourself go." Then he continued to touch the hearts of his fans as he belted out his classics like "Perdóname" and "Me Vas A Extrañar." 

Aguilar is known for his arena tours that embrace the Mexican tradition of jaripeo, or performances on horseback. While he couldn't bring the full jaripeo experience to Bésame Mucho, vivid images of Mexico and horses appeared behind him as he performed his biggest hits. He closed out his set with a heartfelt rendition of his signature love song "Por Mujeres Como Tú."

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016
Kendrick Lamar

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016

Upon winning the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' Kendrick Lamar thanked those that helped him get to the stage, and the artists that blazed the trail for him.

GRAMMYs/Oct 13, 2023 - 06:01 pm

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

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He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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The 2023 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony To Feature Performances From Carlos Vives, Samara Joy, Madison Cunningham, Arooj Aftab & More; Presenters Include Babyface, Jimmy Jam, Malcolm-Jamal Warner & Others

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The 2023 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony To Feature Performances From Carlos Vives, Samara Joy, Madison Cunningham, Arooj Aftab & More; Presenters Include Babyface, Jimmy Jam, Malcolm-Jamal Warner & Others

Streaming live on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on live.GRAMMY.com and the Recording Academy's YouTube channel, the 2023 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony is where the majority of this year's 91 GRAMMY Awards categories will be awarded.

GRAMMYs/Jan 27, 2023 - 02:00 pm

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect additional performers and presenters.

Officially kicking off the 2023 GRAMMYs, the 65th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will return to the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles with a star-studded celebration of performers, presenters and awards. Taking place Sunday, Feb. 5, at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT, just hours before Music's Biggest Night, the 2023 GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony will stream live on live.GRAMMY.com and on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel.

The beloved annual event, in which the majority of this year's 91 GRAMMY Awards categories will be awarded, will be hosted by current GRAMMY nominee Randy Rainbow and will feature an opening number performance by Blind Boys of Alabama, La Marisoul from La Santa Cecilia, and additional surprise performers. Other artists scheduled to perform include current nominees Arooj Aftab, Madison Cunningham, Samara Joy, Anoushka ShankarCarlos VivesShoshana Bean, Maranda Curtis, Buddy Guy and Bob Mintzer.

Presenting the first GRAMMY Awards of the day include current nominees Judy Collins,  Babyface, DOMi & JD BECK, Myles Frost, Arturo O'Farrill, Malcolm-Jamal WarnerAmanda Gorman, and five-time GRAMMY winner and former Recording Academy Board of Trustees Chair Jimmy Jam. Recording Academy Chair of the Board of Trustees Tammy Hurt will provide opening remarks. Additional talent and co-host to be announced in the coming days.

This year, City National Bank has signed on as the first-ever presenting sponsor of the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony.

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All Premiere Ceremony performers and hosts are current nominees at the 2023 GRAMMYs, as are most presenters. Aftab is nominated for Best Global Music Performance ("Udhero Na" with Anoushka Shankar); Babyface is nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance ("Keeps On Fallin'" with Ella Mai); Blind Boys of Alabama are nominated for Best Americana Performance ("The Message" with Black Violin); Cunningham is nominated for Best American Roots Performance ("Life According To Raechel") and Best Folk Album (Revealer); DOMi & JD BECK are up for Best New Artist and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (NOT TiGHT); Frost is nominated for Best Musical Theater Album (MJ The Musical); Joy is nominated for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album (Linger Awhile); La Marisoul is up for Best Tropical Latin Album (Quiero Verte Feliz with La Santa Cecilia); O'Farrill is nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album (Fandango At The Wall In New York with The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring The Conga Patria Son Jarocho Collective); Rainbow is up for Best Comedy Album (A Little Brains, A Little Talent); Shankar is up for Best Global Music Performance ("Udhero Na" with Arooj Aftab) and Best Global Music Album (Between Us… (Live) with Metropole Orkest & Jules  Buckley Featuring Manu Delago); Vives is nominated for Best Tropical Latin Album (Cumbiana II); Warner is nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album (Hiding In Plain View); Bean is up for Best Musical Theater Album ("Mr. Saturday Night"); Curtis is nominated for Best Gospel Album (Die To Live); Guy is nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album (The Blues Don’t Lie); and Mintzer is up for Best Instrumental Jazz Album (Parallel Motion).

Read More: Where, What Channel & How To Watch The Full 2023 GRAMMYs

"We are so excited to kick off GRAMMY Sunday with the Premiere Ceremony ahead of Music's Biggest Night," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said. "Not only do we have an incredible lineup of presenters and performers, but this ceremony will also reveal the winners in the vast majority of our categories, celebrating this amazing year in music across many of our genre communities."

Following the Premiere Ceremony, the 2023 GRAMMYs will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET / 5-8:30 p.m. PT.

On GRAMMY Sunday, fans can access exclusive, behind-the-scenes GRAMMYs content, including performances, acceptance speeches, interviews from the GRAMMY Live red-carpet special, and more via the Recording Academy's digital experience on live.GRAMMY.com.

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A Guide To Modern Funk For The Dance Floor: L'Imperatrice, Shiro Schwarz, Franc Moody, Say She She & Moniquea
Franc Moody

Photo: Rachel Kupfer 

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A Guide To Modern Funk For The Dance Floor: L'Imperatrice, Shiro Schwarz, Franc Moody, Say She She & Moniquea

James Brown changed the sound of popular music when he found the power of the one and unleashed the funk with "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." Today, funk lives on in many forms, including these exciting bands from across the world.

GRAMMYs/Nov 25, 2022 - 04:23 pm

It's rare that a genre can be traced back to a single artist or group, but for funk, that was James Brown. The Godfather of Soul coined the phrase and style of playing known as "on the one," where the first downbeat is emphasized, instead of the typical second and fourth beats in pop, soul and other styles. As David Cheal eloquently explains, playing on the one "left space for phrases and riffs, often syncopated around the beat, creating an intricate, interlocking grid which could go on and on." You know a funky bassline when you hear it; its fat chords beg your body to get up and groove.

Brown's 1965 classic, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," became one of the first funk hits, and has been endlessly sampled and covered over the years, along with his other groovy tracks. Of course, many other funk acts followed in the '60s, and the genre thrived in the '70s and '80s as the disco craze came and went, and the originators of hip-hop and house music created new music from funk and disco's strong, flexible bones built for dancing.

Legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins learned the power of the one from playing in Brown's band, and brought it to George Clinton, who created P-funk, an expansive, Afrofuturistic, psychedelic exploration of funk with his various bands and projects, including Parliament-Funkadelic. Both Collins and Clinton remain active and funkin', and have offered their timeless grooves to collabs with younger artists, including Kali Uchis, Silk Sonic, and Omar Apollo; and Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, and Thundercat, respectively.

In the 1980s, electro-funk was born when artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Man Parrish, and Egyptian Lover began making futuristic beats with the Roland TR-808 drum machine — often with robotic vocals distorted through a talk box. A key distinguishing factor of electro-funk is a de-emphasis on vocals, with more phrases than choruses and verses. The sound influenced contemporaneous hip-hop, funk and electronica, along with acts around the globe, while current acts like Chromeo, DJ Stingray, and even Egyptian Lover himself keep electro-funk alive and well.

Today, funk lives in many places, with its heavy bass and syncopated grooves finding way into many nooks and crannies of music. There's nu-disco and boogie funk, nodding back to disco bands with soaring vocals and dance floor-designed instrumentation. G-funk continues to influence Los Angeles hip-hop, with innovative artists like Dam-Funk and Channel Tres bringing the funk and G-funk, into electro territory. Funk and disco-centered '70s revival is definitely having a moment, with acts like Ghost Funk Orchestra and Parcels, while its sparkly sprinklings can be heard in pop from Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, and, in full "Soul Train" character, Silk Sonic. There are also acts making dreamy, atmospheric music with a solid dose of funk, such as Khruangbin’s global sonic collage.

There are many bands that play heavily with funk, creating lush grooves designed to get you moving. Read on for a taste of five current modern funk and nu-disco artists making band-led uptempo funk built for the dance floor. Be sure to press play on the Spotify playlist above, and check out GRAMMY.com's playlist on Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora.

Say She She

Aptly self-described as "discodelic soul," Brooklyn-based seven-piece Say She She make dreamy, operatic funk, led by singer-songwriters Nya Gazelle Brown, Piya Malik and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham. Their '70s girl group-inspired vocal harmonies echo, sooth and enchant as they cover poignant topics with feminist flair.

While they’ve been active in the New York scene for a few years, they’ve gained wider acclaim for the irresistible music they began releasing this year, including their debut album, Prism. Their 2022 debut single "Forget Me Not" is an ode to ground-breaking New York art collective Guerilla Girls, and "Norma" is their protest anthem in response to the news that Roe vs. Wade could be (and was) overturned. The band name is a nod to funk legend Nile Rodgers, from the "Le freak, c'est chi" exclamation in Chic's legendary tune "Le Freak."

Moniquea

Moniquea's unique voice oozes confidence, yet invites you in to dance with her to the super funky boogie rhythms. The Pasadena, California artist was raised on funk music; her mom was in a cover band that would play classics like Aretha Franklin’s "Get It Right" and Gladys Knight’s "Love Overboard." Moniquea released her first boogie funk track at 20 and, in 2011, met local producer XL Middelton — a bonafide purveyor of funk. She's been a star artist on his MoFunk Records ever since, and they've collabed on countless tracks, channeling West Coast energy with a heavy dose of G-funk, sunny lyrics and upbeat, roller disco-ready rhythms.

Her latest release is an upbeat nod to classic West Coast funk, produced by Middleton, and follows her February 2022 groovy, collab-filled album, On Repeat.

Shiro Schwarz

Shiro Schwarz is a Mexico City-based duo, consisting of Pammela Rojas and Rafael Marfil, who helped establish a modern funk scene in the richly creative Mexican metropolis. On "Electrify" — originally released in 2016 on Fat Beats Records and reissued in 2021 by MoFunk — Shiro Schwarz's vocals playfully contrast each other, floating over an insistent, upbeat bassline and an '80s throwback electro-funk rhythm with synth flourishes.

Their music manages to be both nostalgic and futuristic — and impossible to sit still to. 2021 single "Be Kind" is sweet, mellow and groovy, perfect chic lounge funk. Shiro Schwarz’s latest track, the joyfully nostalgic "Hey DJ," is a collab with funkstress Saucy Lady and U-Key.

L'Impératrice

L'Impératrice (the empress in French) are a six-piece Parisian group serving an infectiously joyful blend of French pop, nu-disco, funk and psychedelia. Flore Benguigui's vocals are light and dreamy, yet commanding of your attention, while lyrics have a feminist touch.

During their energetic live sets, L'Impératrice members Charles de Boisseguin and Hagni Gwon (keys), David Gaugué (bass), Achille Trocellier (guitar), and Tom Daveau (drums) deliver extended instrumental jam sessions to expand and connect their music. Gaugué emphasizes the thick funky bass, and Benguigui jumps around the stage while sounding like an angel. L’Impératrice’s latest album, 2021’s Tako Tsubo, is a sunny, playful French disco journey.

Franc Moody

Franc Moody's bio fittingly describes their music as "a soul funk and cosmic disco sound." The London outfit was birthed by friends Ned Franc and Jon Moody in the early 2010s, when they were living together and throwing parties in North London's warehouse scene. In 2017, the group grew to six members, including singer and multi-instrumentalist Amber-Simone.

Their music feels at home with other electro-pop bands like fellow Londoners Jungle and Aussie act Parcels. While much of it is upbeat and euphoric, Franc Moody also dips into the more chilled, dreamy realm, such as the vibey, sultry title track from their recently released Into the Ether.

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