Mr. Something Something

Mr. Something Something is a Toronto-based Afrobeat collective with activist leanings formed in 2003 by childhood friends Larry Graves (drums/percussion) and John MacLean (tenor sax). All music is written by Graves, MacLean and lead singer Johan Hultqvist. The band's second album The Edge was nominated for a 2007 Juno Award in the World Music category. The 2007 release Deep Sleep was a collaboration with spoken word artist Ikwunga The Afrobeat Poet, the son of a famous Nigerian writer and tribal chief. Deep Sleep was the most played world music album on Canadian college radio in 2007.

The band consists of five permanent members, and a number of loosely affiliated musicians, including such notable jazz musicians as Kevin Turcotte, Richard Underhill and Brian O'Kane. In conjunction with International Car-Free Day 2008 Mr. Something Something presented Canada's first bicycle powered concerts at the Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto's Don Valley and outside infamous bike thief Igor Kenk's defunct bicycle shop. In terms of the band name, they said in an interview: " The name Mr. Something Something is a play on a song name by the godfather of afrobeat, Fela Kuti. He has a song called Mr. Follow Follow, which as couple of the guys thought would be a great name for a tribute band ... but that's not what we are so the name developed with the music."

Discography

• Mr. Something Something (World Records, 2004)
• The Edge (World Records, 2005)
• Deep Sleep (World Records, 2007)
• The Rough Guide to Afrobeat Revival (World Music Network, 2009)
• Shine Your Face (World Records, 2009)

External links

• Mr. Something Something official website