Norrac takes Wings
France-based reggae artiste Norrac is generating a lot of attention with his latest single, Wings.
The track is an easygoing gem of a reggae song exploring spirituality. The single appears on his latest album, New Born.
“This new video is the 10th track on the official album which is called Norrac – New Born. This track is entitled Wings. The video was done in Trelawny last year by my French camera crew who were there with me,” he said.
The theme of the album is centred on renewal and rebirth.
“The central theme for the album is ‘new born’ …meaning a rebirth and also a renaissance of intelligence and the intellectual ‘overstanding’ of purpose,” Norrac mused.
The artiste is not your garden-variety reggae artiste, as he moonlights as an English teacher living and working in France.
“The life as a Jamaican musician living in France is way much different and in contrast to that of the life of a musician living in Jamaica. Here you still have to hold down a 9 to 5, because there are no luscious hills and valleys loaded with fruits, yam roots, or edible wild birds to eat,” he said.
Norrac has noted that the evolution of the reggae music industry has made it harder for reggae musicians to eke out a living because of the emergence of European reggae musicians, and the changing dynamics of live reggae shows, where reggae acts no longer travel with their own bands.
“Many Jamaican artistes come here alone only to be accompanied on stage by French musicians. So, while I get left out, other Jamaican musicians from Jamaica are too being left out of the game. I am an English teacher teaching associate degrees. I do get by,” he said.
He is presently preparing his 2025 touring dates with his band as he steps up promotion of his album.
Of note, it boasts collaborations with Inity, Smallion Y Nixon Dorce, published under the seal and publishing house Megawave, and was recorded at Tuff Gong studios in Jamaica.
“[W]e’re going to be making major moves. We have a song with Nikson Dorce, an American rapper hailing from New York. The title of that song is Love For All…” he said.
The artiste, whose name is Carron A J McGibbon, has played with prestigious artistes such as Bunny Wailer, Toots Hibbert, The Mighty Diamonds, Ijahman Levi, The Gladiators, Roberta Flack, Jeffrey Osborne, Burning Spear, the Marley family, among others.