Interprète: Earth, Wind & Fire
Titre: That's The Way Of The World
Année: 1975
Earth, Wind and Fire est un groupe de jazz-funk originaire de Chicago dans l'Illinois. Le groupe a été formé en 1969 à l'initiative de Maurice White.
Sa plus notable particularité a été sa capacité à innover en
introduisant et en mélangeant de façon savante et inédite des éléments
issues des traditions musicales africaines, brésiliennes, cubaines et
caribéennes à son funk caractérisé par une section de cuivre de grande
qualité (les Phoenix Horns (en)) et des arrangements empruntés aussi bien au jazz qu'à la musique symphonique.
La musique d'Earth, Wind and Fire a d'ailleurs parfois été qualifiée
de « funk symphonique ». Le groupe s'est également démarqué par la
complémentarité de ses deux chanteurs Maurice White et Philip Bailey (dont les remarquables capacités vocales couvrent plusieurs octaves).
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American band that has spanned the musical genres of R&B, soul, funk, jazz, disco, pop, rock, Latin, African and gospel. They are one of the most successful and critically acclaimed bands of the twentieth century. Rolling Stone
has described them as "innovative, precise yet sensual, calculated yet
galvanizing" and has also declared that the band "changed the sound of
black pop".
Also known as EWF, the band was founded in Chicago by Maurice White in 1969. Other members have included Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, Larry Dunn, Al McKay and Andrew Woolfolk. The band has received 20 Grammy nominations; they won six as a group and two of its members, Maurice White and Bailey, won separate individual awards. Earth, Wind & Fire have 12 American Music Awards nominations and four awards. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and sold over 100 million records, making them one of the world's best-selling bands of all time. Five members of Earth, Wind & Fire were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame: Maurice White, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn and Al McKay. The music industry and fans have bestowed Lifetime Achievement honors from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award – 2002), NAACP (Hall of Fame – 1994) and the BET Awards (Lifetime Achievement Award – 2002).
Earth, Wind & Fire is known for the dynamic sound of their horn section, their energetic and elaborate stage shows, and the interplay between the contrasting vocals of Philip Bailey's falsetto and Maurice White's tenor. The kalimba (African thumb piano) is played on all of the band's albums. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the band had many hits, including "Shining Star", "That's the Way of the World", "Devotion", "Reasons", "Sing a Song", "Can't Hide Love", "Getaway", "Fantasy", "Love's Holiday", "September", "Boogie Wonderland", "After the Love Has Gone", and "Let's Groove". Two Earth, Wind & Fire classic songs have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame: "That’s the Way of the World" (2004) and "Shining Star" (2007).
The band is also known as having been the first African-American act to sell out Madison Square Garden and to receive the MSG Gold Ticket Award. President Barack Obama invited Earth, Wind & Fire to perform at the White House for the first social event of the new administration.
