Moving to Northampton from Jamaica in 1967, Man Wid Mission began beating out rhythms on a biscuit tin at age 5, to the sounds of The Beatles, Freddie And The Dreamers etc.
He bought his first set of drums aged 18 and began jamming with different bands, influenced heavily by artists like Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind And Fire, Grover Washington Jr. and Bob James. In 1980 he joined Rasta band Fari, but found his soul/funk-influenced sound at odds with their reggae stylings.
He worked with Teddy Dan Miller, directly influencing his "United States Of Africa" track. Around this time he met Ivan Rodrigues, a veteran jazz percussionist, who had played with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, and who went to have a strong influence on Mission's playing.
Working briefly as a model and a dancer, and spending a couple of spells in the Army as a front line medic, Mission's next band was Molotov. He joined in late 1998 after they heard him play percussion on a woman's butt at a local venue. Personal differences led to him leaving in November 1999. Three months later, he met Boabus through work, who then introduced him to the Unit in the summer of 2000.
Mission Uses:
Roland Meinl 20th Anniversary congas and Nino bongos |
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Influences:
Marvin Gaye, Grover Washington Jr., Third World, Bob James, Earth, Wind And Fire, Kool And The Gang, Rufus And Chaka Khan.
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