Chic return to Sónar 2014 following their stellar performance in 2006, and do so at a pivotal moment in the career of Nile Rodgers (NY, 1952), composer, guitar player, producer and arrangement alchemist, as well as leader and founder of the group.

Rodgers today

Rodgers has witnessed his popularity reach almost unimaginable heights as a result of his collaboration on Daft Punk's "Get Lucky", where he was involved on both the production side and as a guitarist. His appearance with the French duo, Pharrell and Stevie Wonder at the recent Grammy Awards continues to make waves both with the media and public alike. His contribution does not end with "Get Lucky", though: his name also appears on two other tracks from the "Random Access Memories" album, "Get Life Back To Music" and "Lose Yourself To Dance", an undisguised homage to Chic 's legacy.

In addition to the prolific Daft Punk collaboration (as well as many others), Rodgers recently worked alongside two other big hitters in today's electronic dance music: Tensnake and Disclosure. The German housemaster contacted him via Facebook, receiving an immediate response; soon after Rodgers had left his inimitable footprint on two tracks from Tensnake's debut album "Glow": first single "Love Sublime" and "Good Enough To Keep". Meanwhile, his joint venture with the youthful British brothers Disclosure began in early 2013 but did not come to fruition until a few months later taking shape with the single "Together", a smooth funk gem also featuring the emerging pop singer Sam Smith and producer and lyricist Jimmy Napes.

Chic forever

Rodgers began his career as a live musician for the legendary Apollo Theatre band in Harlem, playing for the likes of Aretha Franklin, Ben E. King and Funkadelic. In the 70's he experienced first hand the injustice of racism and was actively involved in the Black Panthers movement, before founding Chic with bassist Bernard Edwards and drummer Tony Thompson in 1977. The band's influence on popular music over the last 40 years is huge, not only setting the foundations of disco and funk with immortal hits like "Le Freak" and "Everybody Dance", but also played a key role in the birth of hip-hop with the "Good Times" bass line forming the basis of the mythical 1979 Sugarhill Gang track "Rappers Delight", considered to be one of the origins of the genre.

Although the band has since reformed on numerous occasions, Chic officially closed the curtains for the first time in 1983, at a time when Rodgers had already begun his impressive career as a producer, either solo or in tandem with Edwards. The list of 80's artists with whom he worked is endless and mind boggling: Diana Ross (on the "Upside Down" hit, No. 1 in 1980), David Bowie (the album "Let 's Dance", in 1983), INXS, Madonna (none other than "Like a Virgin"), Duran Duran, B-52's, Thompson Twins, Mick Jagger, Sheena Easton, Grace Jones, Laurie Anderson, Peter Gabriel among many others.
In the successful Chic revival of the 90's Rodgers suffered the death of his long-standing cohort Bernard Edwards (since then he always opens Chic concerts with "Everybody Dance", written by him). Rodgers also received Billboard magazine's award for Best Producer in the World. After 9-11 he launched We Are Family, recording the Sister Sledge song with 200 celebrities and later giving name to a foundation to promote tolerance and multiculturalism.

Back on top, Rodgers is now working on a brand new Chic album, which will include contributions from Daft Punk and Pharrell among others.

Chic will perform on the SonarPub stage at Sónar by Night, on Saturday 14th June.