http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Disco_Summary.html Although the word Disco refers to a music genre originated in discothèques during the 70’s, for many people, it recalls a complete era of fun, freedom and enjoyment. Disco is the result of a mixture of musical genres such as soul, funk, salsa and Latin music in general characterized by the use of bass, piano, guitar, drum machine and keyboard drums.  Who does not remember The Jackson 5, Barry White and Bee Gees? They were not only outstanding disco artists but are the representatives of a whole subculture that underwent a change during the 80’s but that could not be defeated by the emerging musical styles of the 90’s. The proof of this is that artists as Kylie Minogue, Jamiroquai and Madonna still release disco songs in the early 2000´s. en-us http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_8528.html Fri, 21 Apr 2006 08:59:00 CST
Claudja Barry was born in Jamaica. She is recognized as one of the most important disco singers and a star that still shines due to her amazing talent. Although she was raised in Canada, she moved to New York being still very young to study acting. After that, she moved to London where she participated in many successful plays working with outstanding companies:  the Royal Court Theatre, the Travers Theatre, The Cambridge Theatre, Theatre des Westens, The Friedrichsstadtpalast and the Frankfurter Opera, being the most noticeable her participation in the musical “Catch My Soul” ( an adaptation of Othello).

At this point, you may be wondering if she is the same girl who was part of Boney M and their successful “Rivers of Babylon”. In fact, she is one of the people who were part of Boney M during 1975 till 1976. When this amazing artist left Boney M, she started working on her own projects and became a solo artist. In 1978, she released her first album which enclosed the great hit “Boogie Woogie Dancin’ Shoes.” With it, Claudja reached the highest positions in the top ten charts and went gold and platinum for the sales of the album I Wanna Be Loved By You. Moreover, in 1979, the single was #37 as Randamp;B and #56 in Pop in the Hot 100. In 1985, she participated in the movie “Rappin.”

She is an accomplished artist that has triumphed as a pop, Randamp;B and disco singer as well as a theater and television actress. Other musical achievements that keep Claudja in the hearts of millions of people around the world are "Trippin' On the Moon," "Work Me Over / I Will Follow," "Down andamp; Counting," and "Good Time." She has been awarded in many forms. She won a Junco Award for Best Female Artist, and nominations for Juno Awards and American Music Awards. She is part of The Canadian Black Music Hall of Fame and the Caribbean Hall of Fame. http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_8517.html Fri, 21 Apr 2006 08:21:58 CST
Chic is the name of one of the greatest disco bands due to its creativity and innovation. This band was created in 1976 by Bernard Edwards (bassist) and Nile Rodgers (guitarist). Some time after, a drummer called Tony Thompson joined the band, so they started doing some covers as a trio. When the singer Norma Jean Wright entered the band, they started working as a band fully, recording demos to find the opportunity to let them sign with a record company to produce their songs. Other people who were part of the band are Sylver Logan Sharp, Alfa Anderson, and Jessica Wagner.

Their first single was also their first hit: “Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah),” which was released in 1977. It reached the sixth place in the top ten, making CHIC the most popular disco band. By 1978, they have created a characteristic sound with its own name: the Chic sound. That year, a new girl joined the band: Luci Martin. She was with her friend Norma the front of the band. Thanks to the singles "Everybody Dance" (1977), "Le Freak" and "I Want Your Love" (1978), "Good Times" and "My Forbidden Lover" (1979) they are still remembered as one of the most outstanding bands of all time.

“Le Freak” was one of the most significant singles for Chic because of the unusual way in which it was created. The success of “Le Freak”, enclosed in their second album C’est Chic, made the band reach the top in the United States and sell more than 6 million copies. Their third disc Risque (1979) was as successful as the previous or even more. In 1992, a new Chic released the album Chic-ism and four years later they started a tour in Japan; nevertheless, this tour was an experience to write home about because of the death of Edwards due to pneumonia on April 18. http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_8361.html Thu, 20 Apr 2006 10:19:29 CST
Lynda Cheryl Smith was born in Los Angeles in 1975. This African-American artist who performed Randamp;B, Soul as well as Disco songs, was one of the most famous singers during the late seventies and eighties. She started singing very early at the church choir. In 1976, she began her musical career professionally when she got a job in the national touring company play. There, she worked first as background singer and then got the role of Wicked Witch of the West. The big change for her came when she participated in The Gong Show and her great range and beautiful voice caught the attention of Columbia Records.

With the album Cheryl Lynn, she achieved her first hit “Got to Be Real.” This single has been even considered to be part of one of the most important moments in disco. The success of this single was followed by songs such as “Star Love” (1979), “Shake It Up Tonight” (1981), “If This World Were Mine” (1982), and “Encore” (1984). They released nine albums in eighteen years: In Love (1980), In The Night (1981), Instant Love (1982), Preppie (1984), It's Gonna Be Right (1985), Start Over (1987), Whatever It Takes (1989), and Good Time (1996), which was her last release.

Although her last release dates back to 1996, she kept working in other musical projects. She worked with J Supreme, who is a Hip-Hop artist, in the single “Your Love (Encore),” an updated version of 1983’s “Encore.” Some time later, in 2002, she recorded again “Got to Be Real” to be used in the soundtrack for Undercover Brother. She also appeared in Disco Ball show. In 2004, Cheryl recorded the single “Sweet Kind Of Life” for the soundtrack for Sharktale. Cheryl has been recognized through different awards and recognitions, and she keeps giving concerts, some of them for charity. http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_8348.html Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:52:52 CST
Boney M is the name of one of the discos groups that were a real success during the seventies, especially in Europe. In 1975, Frank Farian joined four West Indian performers in a group which combined black and white music. The group consisted of Maizie Williams, Bobby Farrell, Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett. The history of Boney M is interesting as well as unusual. Unlike most bands or groups that are born some time before their first hit reaches the top, Boney M is the result of the hit “Baby Do You Wanna Bump?” that was performed by Farian in 1975.

After the success of this hit, they kept playing in clubs and discos to build a reputation for themselves. In 1978, they appeared for the first time on a live music show. That was without a doubt the best year for Boney M. They released their great hit “Rivers of Babylon”. It was not only the second single most sold ever in the United Kingdom but also a single that it is still important after 28 years after it was released. “Brow Girl in the Ring” was another of the popular singles that give Boney M their own recognition and identity.

However, these were not the only achievements of Boney M. The calypso version of “Mary's Boy Child/O My Lord” reached the top and was part of the singles most sold. The success of this group relies in the singular voice of Maizie, the catchy melodies, rhythms and tunes. Their discography involves 19 albums, among them: Take The Heat Off Me (1976), Love For Sale (1977),Oceans Of Fantasy (1979), Magic Of Boney M (1980), Boonoonoonoos (1981), Ten Thousand Lightyears (1984), Eye Dance (1985), The Best Of 10 Years (1986), 20 Greatest Christmas Songs (1986), Greatest Hits Of All Times - Remix (1988), More Gold (1993), 20th Century Hits (1999) and Their Most Beautiful Ballads (2000). http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_8317.html Wed, 19 Apr 2006 04:32:52 CST
Bee Gees is one of the most important and outstanding bands of all time. Bee Gees is composed of three brothers: Barry (Vocalist and guitarist), Robin (vocalist) and Maurice (vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist and bassist). All of them are talented songwriters, producers, composers and singers. Bee Gees is characterized by a disco sound with harmonies which are natural, recognizable and contagious. The Brothers Gibb started singing since very early years, when they were only six and nine years old, and they continued singing even after their family moved to Australia.

In 1963, they released their first single called “The battle of the blue and grey”. The following three years were of hard work since they released three albums and 13 singles, among them their first real hit “Spicks and Specks”. They moved again to England and some time after their arrival they started performing with two new members Colin Peterson (drummist) and Vince Melouney (guitarists). The singles "New York Mining Disaster 1941," "Massachusetts," "I Started a Joke" and the albums Bee Gees' First, Horizontal and Idea belong to this era.

After a brief period in which Robin produced the solo album Robin's Reign, and Barry and Maurice presented their LP Cucumber Castle as a duo, in 1970, they worked in solo albums that were not released. The album 2 Years On (1970) is the return of the brothers Gibb singing together again. The most successful singles of that time were "Lonely Days," "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," and "Run To Me." They kept working on the release of more albums with a considerable success. In 1977, they released the live album Here at Last, Bee Gees Live. Thanks to the acceptance of this album, they were asked to participate in the soundtrack for the movie Saturday Night Fever.

That same year the album Saturday Night Fever was released and broke all records becoming the most sold soundtrack ever. Three singles gave them great satisfaction and recognition: "How Deep Is Your Love," "Night Fever" and "Stayin' Alive." This was the brightest moment for disco and the Bee Gees were in part responsible for it. After this success, they accomplished other triumphs. Eleven albums followed the achievement of Saturday Night Fever. The last one was released in 2001 with the name This Is Where I Came In. Sadly, in 2003 Maurice died due to complications of a problem in his intestine. http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_8242.html Wed, 19 Apr 2006 08:15:53 CST
Barry White, who is an American singer and producer of disco and soul hits, was born in 1944 in Texas. However, he actually grew up in Los Angeles. While he was a teenager he joined a gang, the fact that resulted in an arrest when being 17 years old. Once he left jail, he began his musical career singing in bands, although he had been singing since he was 4 years old. By the time he was eighteen, he decided that it was time to start their solo career, so he moved to Hollywood.

There, according to his plans, he would triumph through his music and would win a place in the music scenery as a recognized songwriter, producer and composer. By that time, he met three girls in Hollywood and formed a female group called “Love Unlimited.” In 1972, he produced their debut album From a Girl's Point of View We Give to You which even won gold for sales and contained the hit “Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love.”

Just a year after, Barry released his debut album I've Got So Much to Give. His voice has been recognized as one of the most distinctive in the entire history of soul music. From 1973 until 1999, he released 23 albums among them: Can't Get Enough (1974), I Love to Sing the Songs I Sing (1979), Dedica Ted (1983), The Icon is Love (1994) and Staying Power (1999). With Unlimited Love, he produced 15 albums from 1972 until 1983.

In 2003, he was forced to leave public life after he suffered from a stroke. He had suffered from high blood pressure chronically which resulted in a renal failure in 2002. Finally, when he was just 58 years old, he died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center due to a renal failure. http://www.vagmusic.com/articles/Genres_8229.html Wed, 19 Apr 2006 07:54:11 CST
A Taste of Honey was the name of an American band which experienced a great success during the disco era. The band was composed of Janice Marie Johnson (Vocalist and bassist), Hazel Payne (Vocalist and guitarist), Perry Kibble (Keyboardists) and Donald Johnson (drummer). In 1980, the group was reduced to a duo that consisted of Janice Marie Johnson and Hazel Payne only.

Their first single "Boogie Oogie Oogie" was a popular disco song included in their debut album A Taste of Honey (1978).  "Boogie Oogie Oogie" was during three weeks at the top of the Hot 100 in 1978. Thanks to this single, they won platinum record. They even won a Grammy for Best New Artist. However, that was not the only achievement; Janice-Marie received also a nomination in 2 more categories: Best Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo and Best New Artist of the Year.

With their next singles “Do It Good” and “Rescue Me” from Another Taste (1979), they did not attract the attention as with "Boogie Oogie Oogie" but they helped the band be recognized internationally. In their third album Twice As Sweet (1980), they reached the top again with "Sukiyaki" (the cover version, originally performed by Kyu Sakamoto). This single was number 1 in Billboard Randamp;B and number 3 in Hot 100. Moreover, they won gold record for "Sukiyaki."

In 1982, A Taste of Honey released their last album Ladies of the Eighties. Two singles were released and they reach high positions in some charts. For instance, “I'll Try Something New" reached number 41 in Hot 100. Another cover “Smokey Robinson and the Miracles” was number 9 in Randamp;B charts and number 29 in Adult Contemporary Charts. After leaving the band, Janice and Hazel stayed in the music industry working on solo albums and other projects.