Former Love island SA contestant, Kaige Bertasso, finds true love in music
From reality star to muso, Love Island’s Kaige Bertasso drops his first single on all major platforms today.
Although the 23-year-old Durban native did not find love on the show, it acted as a catalyst to finding his true love, music, and the release of his debut single, Finding Me.
“Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, I grew up playing the guitar, reading sheet music and learnt how to DJ at the age of 12. It is something that was always a part of my life however with tennis being my main point of interest, music took a back seat,” says Bertasso who gained notoriety when he became the first contestant on M-Net’s popular reality TV series, Love Island SA, to leave the show voluntarily, due to his mental health which was the reason for his departure.
According to the former tennis coach, life post Love Island has been quite an adjustment, “Being on an international platform naturally gave me and my brand an overwhelming amount of new followers that I greatly appreciate, as a young brand entering the scene. It took some adjustments on my part, along with great industry mentorship, because it came with so much new attention. However, life after the show has been positive, it allowed me the freedom to be who I want to be, pursue whatever passion sets my soul on fire and more so than anything helped me to be confident in who I am,” he said.
Chasing his passion has led him to the release of his debut single.
“My song is one of a kind as I truly believe the baseline and mainstream feel of the song is like no other. It is versatile and vibey and I cannot wait to perform it live, DJ it in a nightclub and also strip it back to an acoustic version.”
Bertasso believes in the importance of music having a deeper meaning behind it and credits this belief for his unique sound.
“The single is an electronic dance song with a touch of house music. It masks the pain in the beginning and allows for a happy build into Finding Me. This summer hit will have people bobbing their heads as it echoes familiar narratives with them. Making this track has grown me and that growth has seamlessly infused itself into the sound which represents the cycle of growth. When we find our healing, we find our happiness.” says Bertasso.
“What I’m most excited about is for people to hear and know my story. I like most of us have been through so much and the hard part of it has birthed this creativity within me. I want people to know that they are not alone and they too can find happiness even in the worst.”
Finding Me is be available on all major digital platforms now.
SOCIAL MEDIA DETAILS:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/land_of_kaige/?hl=en
About Kaige Bertasso:
Kaige Bertasso found his passions, for both tennis and music at a young age. He grew up with two younger siblings and supportive parents, which allowed him the confidence to pursue whatever venture he desired.
Kaige fell in love with the game of tennis making it his “place of sanity and something that brought me greater joy than anything life had to offer”.
“I played tennis all through high school receiving colours at Reddam House Umhlanga for my tennis accolades and that is the high school I matriculated at. Reddam has a liberal ethos that allows us to be who we are, the school is family-orientated which suited me very well, allowing me to excel”.
He went on to win the masters for tennis, awarding him the position of number one player at the time. Not long after he had a career-ending motorbike accident which changed his life as he knew it.
“Whilst all this was happening music was always in the background. I learnt how to DJ when I was 12 years old and started playing the guitar at 13 years old. After my accident, I ventured into so many different avenues as a career path and nothing stuck,” he said.
Bertasso began coaching tennis as a way to continue pursuing his passion.
“I was sadly retrenched during Covid and left feeling empty and hopeless all over again. Then the international TV show Love Island arrived and I was selected to be a contestant on the show. Life as I knew it changed, although I never found love on the show it gave me the ability and confidence to pursue my dreams of music, playing on big stages and hopefully one day having my own songs.”
Bertasso had always been curious about the music industry and whether he could join the ranks of top artists. His curiosity saw him contacting a music producer friend.
“I sang for the first time in front of him and played my guitar and he was pleasantly surprised with my voice and musical abilities. After that I finished my first song “Finding Me” and from there on I’ve had confidence in my ability and have started to pursue my dream of making my own music, singing my own songs and one day being compared to artists like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber. I am here to work my hardest for my dreams, put in the work to get there and build the brand that I dream of.”