It’s the buzz of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Now that Aguaviva Canarias 2008 has kicked off, the countdown is well and truly on to one of the star concerts by international icon Jamiroquai, led by Jay Kay.

Of course, everyone wants to know how long he and his band are going to be on stage (Gran Canaria June 13, Tenerife June 14), what songs he will perform and if he is going to come out with any controversial statements about how to save the world. After all, the whole point of Aguaviva - which opened on June 1 and continues until June 22 - is about celebrating and conserving our oceans.

But over and above the ethics, perhaps the biggest question his fans are asking is: “What hats will Jamiroquai be wearing on this occasion?” And the second question they are pondering over is: “What hat shall we wear to watch him!”
Jay Kay is as well known for his outrageous headgear as he is for his songs. Some people hate them but the majority just can’t wait to see what he will turn up in next.

He wears everything from beanies to trilbies and thinks nothing of taking to the stage in monstrous creations complete with huge feathers or spikes which should in themselves carry a hazard warning.

It’s all good fun, of course, but it’s also big business for many of the hat-makers who supply Jamiroquai and other top stars.
In the beginning, Jay Kay’s mum used to make most of his hats but then he started to design them for himself and ask other fashion designers to make them up for him.

The crazy hat he wore on the Supersonic video and during many of the live dates in 1999 was designed by London milliner Cozmo Jenks who also designs for the likes of Kylie Minogue. Jay Kay now has about 40 Cozmo hats to choose from.

The hats Jay Kay wears for the videos You Give me Something and Love Foolosophy are by New York designer Rod Keenan who favours the trilby look in all sorts of colours and trims and this is perhaps Jay Kay’s most sophisticated look.

Years ago, he also became affiliated to the designer Joe Komodo and together, they created Orendon clothes. Jay Kay loved his use of natural materials and his network of Third World co-operatives in, for example, Guatemala, Nepal and Java.

Even Jay Kay’s trademark logo used on all of his record labels and merchandise features him wearing a buffalo hat set at an angle.

So just why does Jay Kay favour wearing a hat so much? Apparently, it all started when he was a kid as he always wore a hat when skating. He admits wearing a hat gave him a bit of confidence and has said: “I can hide behind a hat a little bit.”
Despite owning about 100 hats, he says he hasn’t had any “hat disasters” like so many women experience although the spiked variety do tend to poke people in the eye if they get too close.

It’s hardly surprising therefore that Jay Kay has earned the nickname of “headgear king” and “the cat in the hat”, a reference to the way he jumps about on stage. Some of his fans reckon it’s his hats which give him the jumping beans!

The hats certainly do seem to go to his head somewhat. Apparently, he once celebrated the tenth anniversary of owning one particular hat by taking it out to a candle-lit dinner in a bistro. And, in 1996, he appeared on a British TV show wearing only boxer shorts and a hat. After much persuasion, he removed his hat but kept his modesty intact.

Jay Kay doesn’t always wear a hat, however, and he does have hair underneath. He appeared hatless, for the first time in the press, on the cover of The Face magazine in 1994 and now appears more regularly in videos without his trademark headgear. Let’s just see what he turns up in for his concerts here on Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

*Don’t forget, Aguaviva Canarias 2008 is featuring a multitude of events including an exhibition of materials dragged up from the sea bed at Los Cristianos, films on the beach front about the ocean, dance classes, submarine trips and free diving, the release of baby turtles, a photographic exhibition, talks from experts and other pop concerts. It all comes to an explosive end with a concert by salsa king Marc Anthony in Cristianos on June 21 and Gran Canaria on June 22.

You can discover more about the festival by visiting www.aguavivacanarias.com (tickets on www.generaltickets.com) or by ringing 902 405 504.

(Taken from the article at Tenerife Times)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 at 9:33 pm and is filed under Celebrities, Enviroment, Events, Lifestyle, Music, Tenerife. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.