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A tread: It was 2011 & I had been Hennessy brand manager for 2yrs. In that time executed 2 Hennessy Artistry campaigns that had helped propel the brand across the country. I wanted to do something fresh & particularly within the hood where we were seeing the biggest growth
I decided that I wanted to do something big around house music, a national tour with some of the country’s best DJs. I approached @HaraelSalkow at @SoulCandi and asked if they would be keen to partner with me as they had the best roster in the country.
We put together a proposed line up but struggled to get a big name that was available for the whole tour. All the guys we wanted could only do 3 gigs max and we needed someone who would headline all of them.
At some point the guys asked me if I would be open to an international act if they were available and within budget, to which I agreed and after a few days back and forth, @thelayabouts were signed to headline the Hennessy Remixed tour.
During this time, @ulricogc, one of the managers at Soul Candi had given me a demo tape of one of the new acts they were working with. They only had 3 songs on the demo but he wanted me to listen to it. It was 3 guys jamming over some house beats. I loved the sound immediately
At the last minute, one of the confirmed Djs bailed on us to take on a series of ANC gigs and so we needed to find a replacement. We threw a couple names around and then I asked about the new group who’s demo they had sent me.
The guys literally had only done the 3 tracks and one of them was a cover so did not have enough to fill a set. The more I thought about, the more I realized that they had to be part of the tour. I just loved the idea of introducing something completely new to everyone.
Luckily everyone agreed to add them to the tour and promised to work on more tracks to make up a set for the tour and our final lineup was complete.
26 April 2011 was the first gig at Talamanca in East London. @GiggsSuperstaah played the opening set and then the band came on. Whilst I was crazy about the demo, I’d never heard or seen them live so was a tad nervous and had no idea how the crowd would react.
Then the lead vocalist jumped on stage. Everyone was there to see The Layabouts and this was not the white dude from the main act. The dj was already playing a beat in the background and it took two words to make the crowd stand up and take notice.
“San’bonani. Ninjani” were the first words that @jsomethingmusic sang that night & the phenomenon that is @MiCasaMusic was unleashed. The tour was amazing and @thelayabouts @LuloCafe rocked every city but at every event, everyone left asking, who were those Mi Casa guys
It’s crazy to think about all the work that went into that tour and how many times it almost didn’t happen. So many great ideas die on the boardroom table because people just don’t buy into it and this came so close to being just another PowerPoint presentation.
It seems almost elementary now bcoz so many brands have gone on to to these type of campaigns & even bigger things but at the time, this was not a space any premium brand was occupying so it was risky. I’ve learnt since that it’s the scariest work that has been most fulfilling
@HaraelSalkow @RicardodaCosta_ @ulricogc @MandyMpumlwana @LuloCafe @OliLansley @jsomethingmusic @DrDuda @MoT_MiCasa We did the good guys.
A young throwback to the Jack Budha event. This is the track on the demo that converted me https://youtu.be/2bxcovGykdg ">https://youtu.be/2bxcovGyk...
A young throwback to the Jack Budha event. This is the track on the demo that converted me https://youtu.be/2bxcovGykdg ">https://youtu.be/2bxcovGyk...
