This year marks a decade in the music industry for the much-loved house music group, Mi Casa. Over the years, the trio released a series of chart-topping hits, including Jika, Heavenly Sent and These Streets, which cemented their place in the hearts of music lovers.
To mark this milestone achievement, the trio has signed a global record deal with Universal and Afroforce.
J’Something, Mi Casa’s vocalist said: “We truly feel like shouting at the top of our lungs because for the longest time we have been working on getting Mi Casa where it would be ready and prepared for a global strategy and now we have literally some of the best people in the world working on our brand. This has meant a lot of strategy meetings and working toward the big release of our new album in July.”
Behind Mi Casa’s success is a story of resilience and passion shared by the three talented musicians who come from diverse cultures and different music genres that came together to create a unique sound that touched the continent and the world.
“The journey we’ve been on as a band has been unreal. We’ve done it through trust, love, sacrifice, forgiveness and sharing a united vision. Being in a band is like being in a marriage, so our shared goal has always been to keep Mi Casa alive till death does us apart.
“So we put up with one another and continue with our vision of making Mi Casa a global household name in the music industry,” said J’Something, who is also a TV chef.
The trio met during a jamming session at a Soul Candi rooftop party. Moved by the music, J’Something asked to sing along to pianist Dr Duda’s song while trumpeter, Mo-T also jumped in without an invitation - that is how the the relationship was sealed and the band formed.
“We turned the whole place upside down. People were asking for pictures, autographs and wanting to know where they could get our album. I remember trying to explain that I actually didn’t know Dr. Duda or Mo-T before that moment. Three months later we got together to record These Streets and everything changed.
“Considering that beginning, it’s kind of unreal to be talking about this ten years later and, trust me, we share this story every year since we got together as a band,” he said.
Even with their solid vision and passion for music, it has not been an easy ride but the trio managed to weather the storms and continued making music together.
“Truth is we’ve never really argued in ten years but there was a time when we nearly broke up. However, we pushed through that and learned a valuable lesson from that decision that there is a real gift in persistence, because right now we are in the best space ever.”
And for J’Something, being able to make music for this long has been his life support, which he believes is better understood as purpose.
“It’s a feeling I can liken to finding one’s purpose, what I was born to do and so a day without it feels like a day not lived, hence I’m still alive.”
Beyond the awards and chart-making songs, the real achievement in their eyes is the impact they have made in society and having a hand in the intimate relationship that South Africans have with music, while also journeying forward to building a real legacy.
And even in these tough times, being able to share and celebrate such positive news is an indication of the power of music in society and that everything will be alright, in time.
“Right now, more than ever, it’s been really hard and (we) have had to have huge restructuring and re-strategising processes. But I believe we are on the right path in terms of our business and in terms of our friendships. We are a family,” he said.
Mi Casa is planning on multiple celebration activities throughout the year, which would be made known in due time.