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The doctor is coming back home to Labrador City.

Randal Arsenault will perform with his band Dr. Zoo at the local K-Bar, Feb. 19-20.

The man behind the band name actually doctored in wildlife ecology, but he said that zoology had a better ring to it.

He completed his education in Africa, which is a place where he draws on his musical inspiration.

His band fuses African with Newfoundland music and they call their musical genre Afro-Celtic-Reggae.

Arsenault said that there's something special about combining African guitar sounds with fiddle jigs and reels.

The band's latest CD, Southern African Field Studies, was nominated for the 2009 ECMA (East Coast Music Awards) World Recording of the Year.

Arsenault said that they feel happy to be recognized by the music industry, but that they're in it mainly for the live performances.

He added that they love getting people dancing and singing, and in Lab. City they plan on just having a big love-in.

Arsenault was born in Labrador City and he remembers it fondly as the place he had a great upbringing.

He described himself as a "band nerd" who played bass guitar while attending Labrador City Collegiate.

However, he said that he was profoundly influenced by his father, Doctor Willie Arsenault, who played guitar and sang around the cabin.

He also said that his life in Labrador developed in him a love of nature and that he always dreamed about going to Africa.

He remembered being changed after listening to Paul Simon's African fusion album, Graceland.

He was so enchanted with African chanting songs that he recalled blaring them on his car stereo while driving around town with the windows down.

Years later he made a solo trip to South Africa and was surprised to find Johannesburg as a bustling urban centre.

He visited six different African countries in six months during which time he went to see a lot of music performances.

He called it the defining point in his life when he realized that he wanted to be a musician full-time.

After completing his degree while living in an African national park for two years, he settled in Calgary, Alberta.

Then he went through a period of writing songs, he recalled, combining African with Celtic sounds.

He wanted to put together a multicultural band, so he picked up an eclectic group of musicians.

"Playing happens naturally," said Arsenault. "Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But you know when people are dancing, you're doing something right."

He explained that the band's lyrics are a lot about the beauty of life and Africa, as well as about friendships and one's journey to find happiness.

Arsenault performed at the Labrador West Arts and Culture Centre and different schools in Labrador City about two years ago telling the story of a man's 20 year journey from Newfoundland to Africa to find the meaning of life.

He said that through the performance he really tried to highlight the positives about Africa, which is a continent that's often depicted war-torn and impoverished in the media.

He added that he will eventually try to restage that solo performance with his band, but right now the group is busy touring the east coast of Canada.