High-spirited Australian ensemble the Cat Empire distinguishes itself through its fusion of varied genres such as ska, rocksteady, Latin jazz, funk, Afrobeat, and hip-hop. Before issuing their self-titled debut album in 2003, the group cultivated a following via live shows, after which their studio releases have consistently reached the upper tiers of the ARIA chart, among them the number one albums Two Shoes in 2005 and Rising with the Sun in 2016. Their concerts, energized by a turntablist, horn section, and dancers, have been captured across multiple live recordings, notably the double-length Live on Earth from 2009, compiled from performances worldwide. Marking two decades together, the veteran outfit issued Stolen Diamonds in 2019, their sixth album to enter the ARIA Top Ten.
Emerging from Melbourne-based outfit Jazz Cat, the Cat Empire coalesced once founding members keyboardist Oliver McGill, double bassist Ryan Monro, and percussionist Felix Riebl were augmented by trumpeter Harry James Angus, drummer Will Hull-Brown, and Jamshid "DJ Jumps" Khadiwala. Their first commercial recording arrived as a live EP in 2001. Steady club appearances and slots at festivals including the Melbourne Festival, the Adelaide Festival of Arts, and WOMAD heightened their profile as a major live draw and generated excitement ahead of their album debut. After signing with Virgin domestically, the Cat Empire entered the ARIA chart at number 15 in 2003 with their self-titled debut LP, which later achieved triple platinum status. Inspired by the reception for their hybrid approach, they expanded it by tracking the follow-up Two Shoes in Havana, Cuba, where it became their first number one album upon release in 2005. The more adventurous Cities arrived the next year and earned the 2006 ARIA award for Best World Music Album. Their third studio effort in successive years, So Many Nights, peaked at number two and was supported by a seven-night engagement at Sydney's Metro Theatre that set a venue record with eight performances, while lead single "No Longer There" reached number 12 to become their highest-charting A-side. Live on Earth capped the decade by chronicling shows in Australia, the U.K., France, the U.S., and Canada; the two-CD set's liners recorded that the band had logged more than 650 concerts.
During the 2010s the group maintained its pattern of extensive touring interspersed with recording. Fifth album Cinema surfaced in 2010, its title signaling cinematic ambitions though the members, still brimming with energy, intended references to soundtracks rather than background scoring. Like its predecessor, 2013's Steal the Light, issued on the band's own Two Shoes imprint, debuted at number three on the ARIA chart. A subsequent world tour encompassed four continents. Rising with the Sun returned the Cat Empire to the top of the ARIA album chart in 2016. Remaining independent, the band shifted strategy in 2018 by unveiling one new song each month, a campaign that concluded with the 2019 arrival of Stolen Diamonds, their sixth Top Five album.
