A little something about Mr. Something Something

"We felt very honoured to be nominated. None of us take award shows too seriously but it was nice to get the nod," recalled Johan Hultqvist, front man for Mr. Something Something, when I asked him about their nomination for World Music Album of the Year at the 2007 Junos.

"We got tons and tons of e-mails and MySpace messages congratulating us. That was the best part."

For four years Mr. Something Something has been entrancing audiences across Canada with their fervent, intricate and truly harmonious fusion of jazz, soul, funk and West African beats.

Their main goal is to get people out of their seats by offering them a chance to let go and lose themselves.

Not to get you into the music, but to get the music into you.

"People look a little perplexed sometimes. There are so many interlocking rhythms happening and you can tell what part of the music they're listening to by the way they are dancing," says Johan.

Apparently it is as entertaining for the band to watch as it is for the audience to engage in.

With so much to listen to, it can at times be almost overwhelming.

But overwhelming in a good way...like a passionate kiss you feel from head to toe that immediately frees you from all inhibitions.

This June, Mr. Something Something embarks on an extensive three month tour of Canada and parts of the United States including the Rochester International Jazz Festival in Rochester, New York.

When traveling in a van with five other personalities, band solidarity and shared ambitions are key.

But so is the occasional tasty slice of alone time.

"If you ever went on road trips with your family as a kid, it's that intense. But you learn over time what everyone needs to get through. On last year's tour, one guy would go for a run every morning. I would meditate for an hour in the morning."

A good dose of Led Zeppelin in the van goes a long way too.

Thursday, June 14, Casper the Mr. Something Something tour van will deliver all the goods necessary for a night of music, dance and revitalizing energy to Loplops Gallery-Lounge.

Prepare your dancing shoes for something truly unique and leave your shyness at the door.

"The dance floor is really a miniature society. You have a group dynamic where you start with an empty dance floor and all it takes is that one brave soul to change the course of the evening."

This ideal of effecting change is something the entire band shares, on and off the dance floor.

Curating The Truth About Food, Fuel and Free Enterprise film series in Toronto, advocating a ban on plastic grocery bags, speaking out against agribusiness initiatives like terminator seeds and actively supporting free speech and social justice are a few pursuits that make Mr. Something Something more than just a run-of-the-mill Afrofunk band.

"Music becomes a form of spirituality for us. We share the same political values and use the band as a vehicle to raise awareness of sustainability and social justice. We all share the intention to learn and educate ourselves on sustainability and our place in the world.

"It's easy to ask questions, but the challenge is inserting those questions into a song. That's why we do things outside of the band."

If they can empower people enough to stand up and dance, they may just empower people to stand up for other purposes as well.

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