Seb Bourban aka Mr. B

GrooveHarmony

Seb Bourban aka Mr. B was born on July 10, 1979 (DAB – Oil Day). He grew up in Nendaz, a family resort town in the Swiss Alps. Surrounded by a jukebox playing 45s, he discovered reggae music listening to his father’s LP’s of Bob Marley’s ‘Rastaman Vibration’ and ‘Survival’. Mr. B learned to play guitar and bass before rediscovering piano along with the vintage electric pianos like the Clavia Nord Keyboard, the Melodica, the B3 Organ, the Wurlitzer Piano and the Hohner Clarinet.

In 1998, he received his certificate as an Electrician in Radio and TV. In 2003, he graduated from the University of Applied sciences of Sion as a Master Engineer in Electricity. He then worked for awhile as a Support Engineer and then as a Developement Engineer at IDIAP, a research institute for A.I. in Martigny, Switzerland, where he worked alongside some of the world’s leading Scientists and Ph.D’s. Mr. B decided to concentrate on music and start producing music. He formed the label, ‘Grooveharmony Records’ where he worked by himself, acting as FOH engineer and Recording engineer for a few bands, including Melian, Fleuve Congo and The Bohemians. Early demos of IRF (Instrumental Roots Foundation) in 2004 laid the foundation for what would would later become Sola Kamba. Mr. B worked with the late Etienne ‘Eti’ Compaore at Benda Production, where he produced a 4-track EP with Sola Kamba in 2006. He would go on to produced several demos for Sola Kamba from 2008, 2009 and 2011.

In 2010, he toured and released the EP, ‘Pictionary’ with PsyRock band, Melian. They won Best Swiss Rock Award @ Demo Tape Clinic. With the band, Mr. B would go on to record a 13-track album before the band split. In 2013, Mr. B recorded the full length album, ‘Elixir,’ with Fleuve Congo. The album was mixed by legendary Jim Fox @ Lion & Fox Studio in Washington D.C.

Mr. B’s first experience working with Jamaican singers began back in 2007 with the Bohemians and the Jamaican Girls from Wallis.

In 2011, Mr. B reached out to Jimmy Tubb of Tubb Sound to meet Leroy Wallace. They came to our show during the middle of summer. Horsemouth taught Mr. B how to create the real jamaican reggae sound. With this newfound knowledge, Mr. B recorded three riddims with him. Later on in the new year, they linked up Cedric Myton after a show he performed at in Switzerland. One day later, they record three tunes on Leroy’s ‘Driven Riddims’.. ‘We the people’, ‘Moment of Life’, and a Nyahbinghi track that ended up in the first official release from Sola Kamba: ‘Wallissically’.

With the help of Horsemouth, a few members of the band move to Kingston, Jamaica to mix the album in the heart of Reggae Vibrations, at a small world studio owned by Gaylard Bravo and Perry Hendrix, where Gregory Issac, Dennis Brown, U Roy and Big Youth used to be. They had the chance to track down a version of ‘We the People’ riddim with Big youth that hadn’t been released yet on 45. Mr. B would eventually get stuck in Kingston, Jamaica after being caught with ganja seeds by the airport police. He would spend four days in jail and also appear in court. Upon release, Mr. B stayed near Horsemouth in Spanish Town for two weeks to ‘rebuild’ after the shocking arrestation.

Horsemouth took care of Mr. B and strenghten him up. Their time together led the two to record ‘Ganja Vendor’. You see, while spending time in jail, the original ‘Herb Vendor’ was on Mr. B’s mind. Horsemouth was happy with the idea which got him thinking about it. That following week, the two spent two days in a studio, downtown Kingston at Bravo and together, they laid down ‘Ganja Vendor’ in the box… straight! The next week… legalisation became law in Jamaica …. Respect!