IN listening to this young reggae act, it is clear that he is convinced that he has the formula to right the wrongs afflicting the music industry at this time.

Born Gavin Kerr, even in choosing his stage name — Formula One — this artiste wanted to make sure everyone knew he was bringing that recipe of clean, positive thoughts and music to an industry, and by extension, a society, which is often affected by a number of ills.

Formula One’s vision for himself and his music is that it should serve as a motivator to persons globally. “I want people to be able to draw fi one a my tune any day of the week — today, tomorrow, next year — and just by listening to the words and music be inspired and feel blessed.”

It has been a long journey for Formula One who started visiting music studios more than a decade ago. His first taste of a recording came at the studios of the legendary Joe Gibbs. The single, Can’t Forget, was never released, and while many would have seen this as a failure, Formula One took it to be a temporary setback and returned to the drawing board to finetune his writing and vocal skills.

He is the first to note that grooming for the big league truly started when he forged an alliance with the Fams House label headed by the Barrett brothers, John and Kevin.

“Once I linked with Fams House it was straight ‘build’ mode, that search for the right formula,” Formula One explains.

That ‘build’ mode would also take him through the Tastee Talent competition. There would be another temporary setback, as he only made it to the semifinals of that talent search, which left him crushed, but not defeated. “Everybody was looking to me to win Tastee, but all I left with was a cellphone — the prize for being a semi-finalist — and a certificate.”

That certificate still serves as motivation for the young artiste, as he notes that one day he will look back at his career and remember being in the Tastee competition.

Over the years recordings have continued and in 2010 his track Who Am I? on the Smooth Base riddim, generated some buzz for this artiste. The follow-up track Nuff People, also earned on-air rotation, an accomplishment Formula One is proud of.

Currently, the singer his promoting his new track, Walking. “This is a song I wrote and again, I hope those who listen will find it inspirational as I encourage them to keep on persevering and reaching for the highest, while calling on the protection of the Almighty,” says Formula One.

The video for Walking was released recently. It was shot in sections of Portmore in St Catherine and directed by newcomer, Ikem Smith.