Disco Legend and former Chic frontman Nile Rodgers has been revealed as the latest artist to be curating the now Iconic Meltdown Festival. The festival sees a different guest curator hand pick their favourite artists and performers to play at London’s Southbank from the 3rd to the 11th of August. Organisers are promising “Rodgers will present a hand-picked line-up of show-stopping music, art and free events, in what will undoubtedly be the funkiest festival of the year”
To be able to curate and produce nine days of live music for the city of #London, the #UK and music enthusiasts visiting from all over the world is truly a dream come true!
Read the full press release: https://t.co/FNmIRKH8YE#meldownfestival#nilerodgers#southbankcentrepic.twitter.com/kGmZDj3k4T
— Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers) February 11, 2019
Speaking in a press release Rodgers said “To be able to curate and produce nine days of live music for the city of London, the UK and music enthusiasts visiting from all over the world is truly a dream come true. Anyone who knows my career knows that Funk, Disco, Jazz, Soul, Classical, POP, New Wave, R&B, Fusion, Punk Rock, Afrobeat, Electronic and Dance music all play a role and you can expect that to be reflected in the performances we are planning. It’s all about the groove and this August everyone in London will be dancing to incredible live performances!”
We are completely thrilled to announce that the curator of @southbankcentre‘s Meltdown Festival 2019 will be Nile Rodgers! #MeltdownFest More: https://t.co/dzwiUwsf17 pic.twitter.com/XEKW3NfmAu — Meltdown Festival (@meltdownfest) February 11, 2019
Previous years collaborators include John Peel in 1998, who brought Cornershop, Sonic Youth and Spiritualized to the stage. David Bowie in 2002 who’s selection included Coldplay, Suede and The Waterboys. Last year Cure frontman Robert Smith picked a line up consisting of Death Cab For Cutie, The Libertines and Mogwai. As one of the icons of music and a disco pioneer Nile Rodgers is sure to have a phone book of musical legends and new performers to call upon. Full line up details are to be announced later in the spring.
Who will curate 2019’s #MeltdownFest, following in the footsteps of such legendary musicians as #DavidBowie, #PattiSmith and #RobertSmith? We reveal our next curator soon, so keep your eyes peeled. pic.twitter.com/UZRQvZwVQv
— Meltdown Festival (@meltdownfest) February 7, 2019
As a producer and artist Rodgers has contributed to over 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide. He has worked as part of Sister Sledge and Chic, with his late creative partner Bernard Edwards, and has collaborated with artists including David Bowie, for Let’s Dance (1983), and Madonna, for Like a Virgin (1984). Since the 1980s Rodgers has continually set and reset musical trends across genres, and he continues to stay relevant in today’s music scene, working with modern dance artists including Avici and Daft Punk.
When asked about Rodgers in the press release Bengi Ünsal, Senior Contemporary Music Programmer at Southbank Centre, said: “I am thrilled and honoured to welcome Nile Rodgers to Southbank Centre this August for the 26th Meltdown festival. Meltdown is the longest-running artist curated festival in the world and for 25 years has been celebrating those at the frontiers of music. It’s hard to overstate the impact that this year’s curator has had both as part of CHIC and as a solo producer on what we call popular music today. He is constantly creating and collaborating, and I can’t wait to see what he will create across our venues. One thing’s for certain: this will be the funkiest Meltdown yet.”
