It has been an exciting year for Hartbeespoort resident Michael Varalla (52). Not only did this tomato farmer from Hekpoort unexpectedly become part of a radio “dad” band which has already released two singles this year, but he also – totally unplanned – became a restaurateur where he uses his speciality tomatoes in true Italian dishes.

Michael Varalla (52)

Michael became a well-known name to radio listeners when he was chosen as one of four dads to form South Africa’s first “dad” band. In 2024, just before Father’s Day, Breakfast with Martin Bester searched far and wide to find the perfect four dads to form its very own dad band. And one of them was Michael. The four dads chosen for The Dadness Band made their performance debut on Breakfast with Martin Bester’s Friday Live on Friday, June 14 2024, in time for Father’s Day. It was received with great enthusiasm by the radio station and its millions of listeners.
But things did not end there. What was to be a gimmick for Father’s Day took an unexpected turn. The Dadness became so popular that it was decided to release the song as a single. Their first-ever single, ‘Take Me Back’ in January 2025 and reached number one on the radio station’s music chart. This led to their second single, “18 till I die,” which was released shortly before Father’s Day in June. This is now number six on the South African music chart. And to top it all, The Dadness was nominated for the Afri-Indie Independent Artist Awards in two categories!
For Michael, this has been an unexpected but very exciting journey. Just to explain how unexpected the start of this musical journey was… Michael did not even know he had been entered for the radio station’s search for the dad band last year. “The first I knew of it was when I received a call from the radio station informing me that I was a finalist! I had to be in the studio the next day to perform. And then I was picked as one of The Dadness. It was crazy!”
Music has been part of Michael’s life since he was young. He sings, plays bass guitar, keyboards and drums, and performs at venues in the Hartbeespoort area. “I was in bands since I was young, but stopped performing when I was 30 to concentrate on business and family. I was a commercial radio and television director and producer for 25 years. Being back in the music business at 52 is not the same as when I was a teenager,” he laughs. “There is no visions of being a superstar. It is just fun. The band, however, did not expect what is happening now. We are four men from different backgrounds, places and ages, but we have formed a close bond. We have a real friendship. And I am even learning Afrikaans as a result of the band and the songs we perform at festivals. Who knows what’s next? It is anyone’s guess…”
Michael recently also opened an Italian restaurant at Little Paris in Hartbeespoort, which was also not on the cards. “When Covid hit, I had the illusion of becoming a farmer. He started growing speciality tomatoes for sauces. Let me tell you, farming is not for sissies! However, the demand for the sauces I made grew exponentially. One day, a few months ago, I was contacted by an estate agent asking whether I was interested in taking over an Italian restaurant… well, one thing led to another, and here I am cooking Italian pastas, pizzas, breads and making my sauces. As the child of Italian immigrants, music and my mother’s exquisite Italian cooking aromas have always been my fondest memories. Little did I know that I would also end up in a kitchen cooking Italian dishes! ”
Watch The Dadness at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqR7yOXuuzo