IT’S amazing what you can create from combining the best of two talented yet very different music groups.
The end result is amazing in the case of house trio MiCasa and the award-winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo who collaborated on a track for their performance at the Extra Lite Extra Cold Music Concert in Joburg last weekend.
The show also featured Wiz Khalifa, Nas, Spoek Mathambo, Black Coffee, Zakes Bantwini, DJ Clock with Beatenberg, and Reason.
Tonight caught up with both groups to learn more about the collaboration and how it came about.
Albert Mazibuko, a member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, says they were approached by MiCasa: “MiCasa wanted to work with us. We were excited because they are newcomers and so popular and they make us proud. It’s wonderful to be recognised by the young generation, it means what you do affects them.”
MiCasa frontman J-Something continues: “It was like a dream. As a band out there, you want to collaborate with a legendary group and we’re designed to think the legends are Kanye West, Mariah Carey or Rick Ross. You know, it’s usually the American icons.
“But for us, when we were at the South African Music Awards, we realised something. Ladysmith Black Mambazo won so many Grammys, so what better legends to work with than your own? We never thought it was possible. And the next thing we know, we’re in studio together.”
The recording sessions took place in Durban over two days. The track, titled My Sugar, contains English and Zulu lyrics with a fusion of both groups’ sound coming through.
Mazibuko reveals that the song is about love: “The song is about a man who is in love with a girl. And love is something we as a group promote and want everyone to have.”
J-Something explains how the song came together: “As the songwriter of the band, one of my favourite songs of Ladysmith’s Hello my Baby. I love the romance and simplicity, that’s where I got the motivation from for our collaboration. I wanted to make a cool romantic song.
“We liked the idea of the tunes and the various minds of two groups coming together and made the song together. It’s about the music, lyrics and all the compositions.
“We do music properly, good quality music, that’s what we’re known for.”
It’s unconfirmed if the track will be released to the public.
The groups say it was meant for the Extra Lite Extra Cold Music Concert, but they will see what happens in the future.