The Koolest Gang

COMING TO SA: R&B BAND GOING STRONG AFTER SIX DECADES

- Hein Kaiser

Kool & The Gang isn't just a band with a string of hits. They're a soundtrack for generations.

With a career spanning six decades, two Grammy Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, and an incredible influence as the most sampled R&B band of all time, they've created music that's as familiar as a longtime lover.

Their songs have been present at celebrations worldwide, from weddings and reunions to late-night boogies.

Later this month the band will be touring South Africa along with the Earth Wind and Fire Experience with dates in Gauteng and Cape Town.

"We're definitely looking forward to coming to South Africa," said founding member and bass player Robert "Kool" Bell.

"You'll hear the hits of the '70s and '80s, the songs people still dance to - from Jungle Boogie and Ladies Night to Get Down on It and, of course, Celebration," he said.

It all started in 1964 with a group of jazz-loving teens in New Jersey who first called themselves The Jazziacs.

Together, they developed a sound that combined jazz, funk and soul in a way that had never been heard before.

"We went by a few names in the early days," Bell said.