Ageas Cooljazz: Forever young? Perhaps not, but Jamiroquai will always be the life and soul of the party

“It doesn't matter what they do to us,” says Jay Kay, frontman of Jamiroquai, roughly halfway through their concert at Ageas Cooljazz this Saturday, 18 July. “Disco is forever,” setting the tone for one of their newer tracks, “Disco Stays The Same”, which is set to feature on a future album.

We were left pondering this idea for a while. In fact, if there was one thing this concert made us think about, it was "time". Is Jay Kay still cool in 2026? The round hat he wears when taking to the stage, as well as the fringed shirt, seem to suggest not, but the legion of fans that invaded the completely packed Hipódromo Manuel Possolo – and who decided to dust off their cowboy hats – seem to believe the opposite, transforming the lawn into a nostalgic 90s nightclub, like the old Coconuts, in Cascais.

With the festival absolutely bursting at the seams (we weren't even allowed into the press area, located in the same place as the VIP area, because it was so full), the English band showed that when music makes you dance, it matters very little where it comes from, because it becomes timeless.

The band, made up of ten members, including three backing vocalists, kicked off the journey to the sound of “(Don't) Give Hate a Chance” and “Little L”, with their futuristic funk immediately getting Cascais dancing, followed by the banger "Seven Days in Sunny June".

Jay Kay shared that his father was somewhere in the audience, which prompted an unexpected visit to Dr Google that led us to discover that the vocalist is the son of Portuguese guitarist Luís Saraiva, and that they only met when the Jamiroquai leader was 28 (to finish off the gossip, we also found out that the artist's real name is Jason Luís Cheetham).

We don't know if this is why the group clicked so well with the Portuguese public, but the truth is that during "Space Cowboy" it was hard to find anyone who wasn't shaking a leg. Jay Kay took the opportunity to show off his dance moves too. Whilst they might be a little outdated for a contemporary nightclub, they remain highly impressive.

In between, there was also room to test out a new song, marked by a catchy conga solo. From what we heard, this could easily be an old song – the projections and videos on the screen are, without a doubt, a nod to other eras –, but the truth is that the groove is infectious and the rhythm is magnetic. We are drawn to the basslines and move our bodies in an almost primal way.

With "Alright" (and just as they did in practically every song), the band of experienced musicians demonstrated a flawless execution under a frame of red lights and smoke, crowned by a great bass solo. Hearing these arrangements also serves as a reminder that artists like Justin Timberlake (especially in the FutureSex/LoveSounds era) drew great inspiration from here.

During "Travelling Without Moving", Jay Kay appeared with another look: his characteristic light-up hat and a matching black suit with little lights, paving the way for more nostalgia among the fans. “I used to love this guy,” says a gentleman next to us, bringing his hand to his forehead. We don't know what might have distanced this man from Jamiroquai's music, but we are glad to know that the ticket he bought, besides a concert, also earned him a trip back in time.

In the final stretch, a few tributes, with “Canned Heat” winking at ABBA, and the glorious “Cosmic Girl” including references to the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”. We won't stop there with the praise for this track: the 90s dancefloor classic brought the house down and was not only one of the highlights of the concert, but of the entire festival.

After a slightly calmer “Love Foolosophy” to catch our breath, the climax of the concert arrived with “Virtual Insanity”, which generated a final wave of dancing, singing, and many mobile phones in the air recording the moment.

Jamiroquai and Jay Kay can be many things. They can be exceptional musicians. They can be kitsch. They can even be a bit tacky to some. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But nobody can take one thing away from them: they remain incredibly fun. The life and soul of the party.

Ageas Cooljazz continues on 22 July with Diana Krall, Gisela Mabel, the Nuno Tavares Quartet, and Sofia Morais.

See also: If kindness is punk, David Byrne is the punkest of us all

Also: The best things to do in Cascais in July

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