Kano

Kano was an Italo disco music project formed in Milan, Italy in 1979 by producers/musicians Luciano Ninzatti, Stefano Pulga and Matteo Bonsanto. The group's debut single, "I'm Ready", released in 1980, combined elements of 1970s disco, funk, and R&B with synthesizers and percussive handclaps, as well as raw-processed and vocoderized vocals. This track peaked at number 21 on the U.S. Black Singles chart and marked their breakthrough moment. Kano's self-titled debut album included hits such as "It's a War" and "Ahjia", both of which reached number 2 for five weeks on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the U.S. The band went on to release two more albums: New York Cake (1981), featuring the singles "She's a Star", "Don't Try to Stop Me" and "Can't Hold Back", and Another Life (1983), which included the title track and "I Need Love". Both albums featured West Indian-born singer Glen White. Their final record was the 1985 single "This Is the Night". Kano disbanded in 1984, with their music continuing to influence various artists through sampling and remixes. Notable posthumous recognitions include the use of "I'm Ready" in Tag Team's 1993 hit "Whoomp! (There It Is)" and the sampling of "Another Life" in Nero's 2011 single "Reaching Out".