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.
