Jordan Rakei is coming to South Africa in November. Picture: Instagram/@jrakz
New Zealand soulful singer and songwriter Jordan Rakei is gearing up for the South African leg of The Loop World Tour.
Rakei is set to perform at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town on 29 November and at the Marks Park Sports Club in Randburg, Johannesburg, on 30 November.
Speaking to The Citizen, Rakei, who released his fifth studio album The Loop earlier this year, said he is excited to finally return to South Africa after years of trying to make it happen.
“I’ve been wanting to come back for the last three albums, but we just couldn’t make it work.
“I had this massive online movement from South African fans, constantly DMing, tweeting, and asking me to come. And I finally hassled my management to make it happen,” he said.
The Wildfire hitmaker said his first performance in South Africa at the Cape Town Jazz Festival in 2018 was beyond his imagination.
“The crowd was electric! I didn’t even know I had fans there. The audience engagement was incredible.
“South Africans are true music listeners. They’re a really engaged musical audience, which shows through the singing and screaming when you’re on stage. I can’t wait to come back and share what I can do.”
For his return, Rakei promises a setlist that includes a wide array of his discography, from fans’ old favourites to new tracks from The Loop.
“I’m going to try and play songs from each album because I haven’t been able to come much. I want to make sure that my fans who haven’t been able to see me at different album stages hear what they might want to hear.”
He said he hopes the audience will fully experience the different musical styles he brings and enjoy the talent of his band.
“I’d love for people to see how much my sound has evolved, and I hope we can tell that story throughout the show by blending old and new music. My band plays a big role in this, with many moments in the show where they do their own thing.
“We’re bringing the full band, so it’s just more of a night of collecting different musical styles, all told in one concert. That’s what I want people to take away from the experience.”
Once the tour wraps up, Rakei said he will be focusing on creating more music and working on his next album.
However, he added: “But there’s no rush on the next album. I’m just open to seeing where the music takes me.”
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