Voice & calabash
Johan has been singing and performing since age three. By 1998, when he was discovered by Sony Music Canada, he had busked his way across most of Europe and North America. During a career hiatus for university studies he found expression and considerable notoriety as a radio personality only to resume musical pursuits full-time in 2001. Since 2003, Johan’s primary focus has been writing music, recording and touring with Juno-nominated Afrobeat collective Mr. Something Something. By joining forces with like-minded artists in Mr. Something Something, Johan found an expression for his love of dance as well as a vehicle for his environmental activism and involvement in social justice issues.
He is also the curator and host of the popular monthly reading series/cabaret FREE SPEECH which showcases Toronto writers and songwriters based in Parkdale-High Park. Since January 2007, many of Canada’s finest novelists, poets, comedians and musicians have been featured in the series. Johan is currently working on a collection of short fiction. His writing has appeared in productions staged by contemporary dance group KemiCollective, some of which feature Johan as a performer/narrator. In 2008, he was one of four artists commissioned by the Images Festival to critique the works included in the 21st incarnation of the annual festival of film, video and installation art.
