Wooooo Hooooo: It's the Weekend!
The group was originally put together by William Adams Jr, Alan Limbo, Mooky Mook, Dante Santiago and DJMotiv8, as a concept group, exploring musical diversity with jazz and rhythm; and blues influences. That first iteration, while having a loyal following, a distinctive, almost retro style, was very different from the 'gansta-rap' style of the day, but their first album was never released and they, in musical parlance, stalled.
Of the originals, William Adams Jr, was to achieve prominence across the wider entertainment industry as 'Will.I.Am;' and Alan Pineda Limbo, re-identified himself as 'apl.de.ap;' To join the two were Jaime Luis Gomez, otherwise known as 'Taboo.' I guess 'strange' doesn't really say it all, does it? Changing what appear to be perfectly good names, given by their parents, to a confusing litany of identifiers... oh well.
However, the same sophistication that had earmarked their earlier venture, this time around found an appreciative audience, perhaps in the new social awareness of black America and prominent soloists Macy Gray and Kim Hill were guest artists across several of their releases between 1995 and 2002.
Then Stacey May 'Fergie' Ferguson joined them, offering her unique voice, the antonym to their diversity, the missing piece of their puzzle, and they went stratospheric! Fergie's soulful 'Where Is the Love,' led the charge; 'Shut Up,' consolidated their musical 'creds,' culminating in a Grammy in 2005, their unique 'Don't Phunk With My Heart,' and 'Don't Lie,' and 'My Humps,' created a legacy that would endure until 2011.
Anyway, back to 'I Got a Feeling.' It's a cracking tune and everyone, if nothing else, can sing along to the repetitive words and melodies, not always at the right time, or in the right tune, but IGaF inspires smiles, joy and celebration, with its falsetto 'Woooooooh hoooooooo,' and 'tonight's gonna be a good night.'
But why has it always piqued my fancy? Because it restyles and remodels the week. Amidst all the repetition and 'Tonight's gonna be a good night-ing,' they sing, 'Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Saturday to Sunday,' doing what many of us have always asked for... two Saturdays in a week, or a weekend!
Apart from its catchy lyrics, its 100% weekend and party vibe, very few people know that it was inspired by David (Ravy Davy) Guetta, the French-born icon of dance-pop collaboration, whether as a producer or DJ, they say, 'everything Guetta, turns to gold.' Guetta, in 2009, worked around several 'beats,' or unfinished tunes, with Will.I.Am and when the American came up with 'tonight's gonna be a good night,' as the hook, Guetta immediately recognised its potential and the most downloaded tune in America's history was born.
Will.I.Am, for his part, recognised that young people were looking for, if not escape, then stimulation, joy, noise and dedicated it to 'the party people, who just want to go out, to lose themselves, to escape and have fun.' He felt that with times being hard and drugs meaning trouble with a capital 'T,' here was something to embrace. He was surely right and even Guetta, who two years later was to release the greatest dance anthem ever, with Kelly Rowland, 'When Love Takes Over,' credits the Black-Eyed Peas collaboration with setting the standard, musically and socially.
I'm no great 'muso' or music afficionado, but this tune has relevance to so many of us. It's liberating! It helps us to understand that we can see our lives and our weekends, in different ways. We do have the power, not only to embrace change, but to make it happen, to work hard and play harder. So often, we do know what we want and where we are headed, but we are rarely bold enough to embrace the destination and so, the journey.
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