Grammy-winning house music DJ and producer Roger Sanchez emerged from NYC to become a global icon. Known for his distinct style and underground passion, he runs Stealth Recordings and Undr The Radr, boasts iconic Ibiza residencies, and has collaborated with Fedde Le Grand and Ella Henderson.
Nottingham-born singer Ella Knight fuses soul, R&B, and jazz, performing live with a six-piece band. Part of Giles Peterson's Future Bubblers scheme, she is also known for her feature on the track Snakes and Ladders with MC Bru-C.
Formed in Birmingham in 1978, UB40 became the world's most successful reggae band, selling over 100 million records and spending over 11 years in the UK album charts. Their original line-up remained unchanged for thirty years, and in 2023 they released their album UB45.
Formed in 1964 in Jersey City, Kool & the Gang evolved from a jazz ensemble into a leading funk and R&B powerhouse. Best known for hits like Celebration, Jungle Boogie, and Joanna, the influential group earned multiple Grammy nominations and released chart-topping platinum albums including Ladies Night and Emergency.
Originating from US TV show Soul Train, dance music group Shalamar achieved major success with the classic line-up of Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel. They released hits like The Second Time Around and multi-platinum albums including Friends and Three for Love.
Born in Kingston, South Carolina, vocalist Jocelyn Brown rose to fame through gospel roots and disco classics. She fronted groups like Inner Life and Musique, scoring hits such as Keep on Jumpin and I'm Caught Up. In 1984, she achieved solo success with the smash hit Somebody Else's Guy.
British singer Heather Small first gained fame in the late 1980s band Hot House before fronting M People, earning massive success and Brit Awards with hits like Moving on Up. She later released solo albums, notably Proud, and starred in television shows including Strictly Come Dancing.
Gok Wan MBE is an award-winning TV presenter best known for How to Look Good Naked. Alongside his fashion and cooking career, he became a house music DJ in 2015, playing at major clubs and festivals. During lockdown, he launched the popular online rave Isolation Nation.
Formed in 1968, the vocal group Odyssey found major success in 1977 with soft disco hits featuring a Caribbean feel, notably Native New Yorker and Easy Come, Easy Go. After gaining fame performing in New York clubs, the group later scored additional hits in the UK.
House producer and DJ Armand Van Helden rose to fame through club hits like Witch Doktor and major remixes for artists including Tori Amos and Daft Punk. He scored U.K. number one hits with U Don't Know Me and the Dizzee Rascal collaboration Bonkers, and co-founded the chart-topping duo Duck Sauce with A-Trak.
Fat Tony is a Third Ward-born Houston underground hip-hop musician and indie-rap artist known as Anthony Obi. Inspired by local icons like Devin The Dude and Scarface, he released the project I Will Make a Baby in this Damn Economy.
Kirollus is an English DJ and digital content creator known for his infectious all-vinyl sets of funk, boogie, and soul. Born in England, he honed his encyclopedic ear at Uptight Records. He is celebrated for his joyful energy, deep musical knowledge, and collaborations with artists like Marcellus Pittman. Kirollus also champions overlooked DJs through his platform Groove Anthology.
Born in Brooklyn, Todd Terry is a pioneering house music producer who defined New York house in the 1980s by blending disco, Chicago house, and hip-hop. He is best known for hits like Weekend and his massive 1995 remix of Everything But the Girl's Missing.
Grammy-nominated DJ/producer and label owner Mark Knight, founder of Toolroom, has 120M+ global streams. Known for dance anthems like Man With The Red Face, Alright and Downpipe, and work with Faithless, Underworld and Florence + The Machine.
Spanish Town, Jamaica-born Studio 54 icon; disco→reggae/rock post-disco with Sly & Robbie. Hits “Pull Up to the Bumper,” “Nightclubbing”; worked w/ Trevor Horn, Nile Rodgers.
NYC funk band led by Larry Blackmon (ex-Juilliard). Formed in 1974 as the New York City Players, renamed Cameo. Scored major R&B hits incl. “I Just Want to Be,” “She’s Strange,” “Word Up,” and “Candy.” Moved to Atlanta in 1982.
Michael Gray, UK DJ/producer; 1/2 Full Intention. Soulful disco/funky house. Hits “The Weekend,” “Borderline.” Traxsource #1 (2024); runs Sultra Records.
