My son, Crazy Little Man, has become obsessed with a local band recently. Mi Casa has a song he likes called, "Jika." He sings along with it when it comes on the radio, and I found myself actually liking the group too.
The story of Mi Casa isn't one of a band that's been together for years and suddenly finding success with a great song. No, they met in 2011 at a lounge and started playing together and then hit it huge. This actually qualifies as an overnight success. Their first hit was in late 2011, and they've already released two albums. One of the things I like about this group is that they seem to know they've caught the luck, and they're very down to earth. I like that. The members of the group are Dr. Duda, who produces, Mo-T plays the trumpet, and JSomething is the vocalist and guitarist. (JSomething's real name is Joao, which I guess is how he has been introduced for a long time in South Africa. He was born in Portugal and moved here when he was 7.) Their new album is called Su Casa, and the very first song on the album is "Turn You On."
The music of Mi Casa can be classified as chilled out dance music with a Jazz element to it. You can definitely groove to it, but it can also be on in the background at a dinner party and you'd be fine with it. "Turn You On" has that smoothness to it that gives a little bit of the 1990s vibe to it. JSomething's voice is very evocative, and definitely should be used in a slow-motion scene in a movie where a man and woman are doing the making eyes over dinner, interspersed with scenes of them kissing and doing adult things back at the house.
This song is a jam, to be sure. After the chorus, a longing cry of "IIIIIIII, just want to turn you on," followed by the echo of background singers, there is a sax and trumpet play that reminds me of Goldfish's music lately, and of 1930s-1940s jazz.
I have to say one of the things I dig about this group is that they aren't trying to be someone else. They are themselves, all the way to using the South African colloquialism, "now now." "Now Now" doesn't really have a meaning attached to it. It means sometime from now until later. "Just now" however, doesn't really mean anything. It's something you say to someone to get them off your back, "I'll do it just now." They also dedicate one of the songs on the album to "Tata Madiba" or Nelson Mandela to you and I. Doesn't get any more South African than that, unless it came with a braai and biltong.
Anyways, this song just has a groove to it that you'll really enjoy. South African music is starting to make it big in the world, and I think these guys definitely have a shot at being something in the future. Not to brag, but I do have a track record of calling it when bands might hit big. Give Mi Casa a shot. If you like it, you might find yourself playing it one night while drinking a nice red wine from South Africa, wondering when the next rugby match is on.
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