From the opening ceremony to DiscOlympics, Cerrone still reigns nearly 50 years on

PARIS -- As the Eiffel Tower shimmered with laser lights, a tune from the man known as the French Disco King set the stage for the final leg of the Olympics opening ceremony.

As Cerrone's “Supernature” pulsed through Paris, sports legends like Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal glided down the Seine, with deaf choreographer Shaheem Sanchez grooving to the beat through American Sign Language dance. This 1977 classic proved that disco's glittering charm still reigns supreme on one of the world's grandest stages.

For Cerrone, 72, this moment once again proved his cross-generational music has staying power.

“The sounds changed every decade, but for my part I never lose the movement,” the music producer told The Associated Press on Sunday night before he hit the stage as the headliner at DiscOlympics, which brought out more than 3,000 energic concertgoers to a riverfront nightclub.

The event paid homage to the roots of dance music and Cerrone, who shaped the disco genre in France in the mid-1970s with jams such as “Supernature,” “Give Me Love” and “Je Suis Music.”

Cerrone said he still has indescribable emotions after watching the opening ceremony segment featuring his song, released nearly a half-century ago. He was surprised when the ceremony's composer and music director, Victor le Masne, approached him nine months ago. Le Masne proposed updating it with a more symphonic sound, featuring orchestral arrangements.

Cerrone said the creative process was like witnessing a woman enduring months of pregnancy before giving birth.

“I think it's my best work of my career,” said the producer, who has released 23 albums and sold more than 30 million records worldwide.

Along with Cerrone, the 12-hour DiscOlympics had several performers such as Agoria, He.She.They., and Kartell. The diverse lineup showcased disco's evolution into a foundation for subgenres such as hip-hop, house music and electronic dance music.

Disco initially made a splash in the early 1970s in New York City with various musical influences from funk, soul and Latin music. Cerrone, along with other French artists including Dalida and Amanda Lear, were a part of the Euro disco movement in the mid-1970s.

European artists with disco influences, like Daft Punk and Giorgio Moroder, have found success in the U.S.

“Everybody knows the real disco has never left,” Cerrone said. “It never stopped. Sometimes it was bigger then lower. ... With the young people, it's funny. I performed at a big festival. I see 60,000 people in front of me. I stop the music and (they're singing) ‘Supernature.’ It's never changed. Sometimes, it's like that.”

Waël Mechri-Yver, a French-Tunisian musician, said Cerrone is deserving of high recognition, calling him a disco musical savant. After he first heard about the legendary producer's involvement with the opening ceremony a few months ago, he reached out to Cerrone's manager about being a headliner at DiscOlympics.

“He's the father of disco. He's the king of disco music,” said Mechri-Yver, who performs under the stage name WAÏ. His culture collective company BABËL and Silencio hosted the DiscOlympics.

When Mechri-Yver heard Cerrone's song during opening ceremony, he knew it was perfect timing for his event.

“Disco is coming back really strong and we really want to be the champion of that music,” said Mechri-Yver. Along with Kosmo Kint and Cerrone's son Greg Cerrone, Mechri-Yver recorded the song “Are You Ready,” which was performed for the first time publicly Sunday and received a favorable response from the crowd.

“It's very joyful, celebratory, inclusive, grateful music that is about giving praise to the Lord, giving praise to nature. That's why ‘Supernature’ was such an incredible performance. The Eiffel Tower lit up. The whole world started to sing. It was absolutely beautiful,” Mechri-Yver said.

DiscOlympics attendee Alexia Charles was extremely pumped up about the event. The Parisian, who's in her mid-30s, rarely frequents the nightclub scene but felt compelled to see Cerrone perform — especially after the opening ceremony.

“It's amazing to see,” she said. “You can hear the people screaming for him. That's a good representation of electro music in France.”

Cerrone said seeing people cheer him on in his 70s fuels him.

“That's the best deal to live a long time,” he said. “It makes me happy to sing about that.”

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For more coverage of the Paris Olympics, visit https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games.