A millennium eve holiday in Jamaica sparked Matthew McConaughey's passion for the music of little known reggae singer Mishka, whose work he has championed.
The Tropic Thunder actor began a quest lasting years to track down the Canadian performer, eventually launching a record label so he could sign him.
Entranced by the artist's songs, the star handed out around 200 copies of his CD to friends and acquaintances. He had no luck finding the man behind the music, though.
"It's still my favourite album, three years later. I know it up and down," recalled Matthew.
A breakthrough came when one of the actor's management team saw Nova Scotia-based Mishka performing a Los Angeles gig.
Shortly afterwards Matthew made his impromptu decision to get into the music business. "I called Mishka… and said 'You want to join Just Keep Livin' records? I just started it five minutes ago," he remembers.
A newcomer to the music scene Matthew produced the album Above The Bones by miming the various stages to its production as he wasn't up on the industry jargon.
Mishka wasn't fazed by the novel recording experience, however. "(Many promoters) look at it like a job... It's quite refreshing to work with someone who has his heart in it," he explained.
Photo: YouTube.com
Photo: Mishka.com
