Multi-award winning band enjoyed sold-out shows in London, Portugal and Canada, and now wants to dazzle local fans, too. They will be launching their new album tomorrow at the GrandWest Arena, writes Nontando Mposo
Urban jazz-house act Mi Casa is back home from a successful international tour that saw them perform to audiences at 11 sold-out shows, says vocalist and guitarist J’Something.
Their global tour took them to London, Portugal, Canada and the Netherlands, and J’Something says “the reception was amazing”.
“We kept asking ourselves during the trip if what we were experiencing was real. It was interesting and amazing that a lot of people knew who we are. At every single performance, people were singing along to our songs.”
Now the award-winning trio are set to launch their third studio album, Home Sweet Home, nationwide, starting in Cape Town on Friday.
This will be followed by Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Joburg.
The Joburg-based band is comprised of J’Something, Dr Duda and Mo-T, and are known for their catchy hits Jika and These Streets.
J’Something doesn’t only sing, he also hosts the TV cooking show, Something’s Cooking, currently on SABC3.
He explains that the group named the album Home sweet home, which was recorded while on tour, to pay homage to their fans.
“We chose the title because everywhere we performed we got so much love as if we were home in South Africa. Everywhere we went there was either a little or a big Mi Casa family. In London and Rotterdam we had a huge following of people.
“We were pleasantly surprised that most of our fans were locals… we didn’t expect that,” he says.
“This album means we are coming back home where everything started. It’s a tribute to our fans, to tell them that without them we wouldn’t be where we are.
“Without our fans, who have supported and bought our albums over the years, we wouldn’t have lasted this long in the industry,” says J’Something.
The trio first performed together in 2011 and their first album, Micasa Music, went gold within six months. It won several awards, including Best Dance Album, Group of the Year and Record Of The Year at the 18th Annual MTN South Africa Music Awards in 2012.
Their second single from the album, Heavenly Sent, was also a chart topper and fans can expect their new album to be a medley of their signature distinctive homegrown sounds.
“A lot of things have contributed to our success and longevity.
“One of those things is constantly producing good music, and another is the fans who have been with us over the years. We have also been making the right tracks and quality music that our fans love,” says J’Something.
He adds that Cape Town fans remain the group’s biggest supporters.
“We are looking forward to the show tomorrow as Cape Town has been our biggest fan base over the years.
“Whenever we need a bit of encouragement we come to Cape Town because most of our fans are here.
“This is why we wanted to kick off our tour in Cape Town.
“We want Capetonians to hear the new album first,” he says.
• Mi Casa will be touring South Africa as part of the Cornetto Dare to Love campaign and will perform at the GrandWest Arena tomorrow evening. Tickets are selling for R120 each and are available from Computicket.
Cape Argus