Norwegian singjay Nico D (second left) and his Jamaican crew (from left) Junior 'Mangaroo' Crawford, publicist Sean 'Kontractor' Edwards and Prince Jahved at the North Street offices of The Gleaner Company, recently.

'Initially, Nico D never thought of being a singjay, but the pulsating Jamaican beats twisted his mind, and he is now hooked.' - Photo by Paul Williams

While culture is the composite of the creativity, customs and sensibilities of a particular people, it has no bounds. Elements of it are oft adopted by other peoples, near and far. Such adoptions have been known to break down social, racial and political barriers. And music, arguably the most potent exponent of any culture, through its international ambassadors, is leading the charge in the annihilation of cultural divides.

Nico D, who is of French and Norwegian descent, is an artiste who's helping to transform the world into a 21st-century musical global village. Reggae and dancehall, two indigenous Jamaican genres of music, are the platforms on which this 27-year-old singjay, who was born in Paris, France, and lives in Oslo, Norway, wants to use to spread his message of love and unity.

"People have some misconception about Jamaica abroad and I feel that I can help to break down those barriers," he tells The Sunday Gleaner.

early influences

Born Nicolas Albert Holter, he has been exposed to various cultures as his family moved from country to country, before settling in Norway, where Jamaican music has a substantial following. He was exposed to the local sound systems in Oslo, but American rap music was one of his early influences. Yet, it was the music from the island in the sun that he found closest to his heart and soul.

Initially, Nico D never thought of being a singjay, but the pulsating Jamaican beats twisted his mind, and he is now hooked. "You do have that love for roots (reggae), which is deeply embedded in the Norwegian people, but you really don't see reggae in the commercial part of the music, which is something I am trying to change." Foundation people like Burning Spear, Freddie McGregor, The Congos and The Abyssinians are huge crowd-pullers, he says.

His first attempt at singing reggae was at a concert in a small village in Belgium. His audience was a mixture of old and young people who didn't understand English. The song was done on an original Cypress Hill beat, so they enjoyed the vibes.

The first major step towards a career in Jamaican music was on his recording of a tune called Legalise It. That was six years ago. Since then, he's been in high demand in Norway, becoming perhaps the leading reggae/dancehall artiste in the country. Touring Norway, being featured on rap albums, spreading reggae culture, opening shows for The Wailers, Steel Pulse, Busy Signal, Wayne Wonder and Sizzla are some of his preoccupations. He has also performed several times at Oslo City Hall Square and at the annual VG Top 20 concert (official Norwegian hit list).

But it was his desire to make a physical connection with Jamaica that was foremost on his agenda. Last year he met Jamaican artiste Jah Mason in Oslo, and the link to the birthplace of reggae and dancehall music was finally made. In January, he visited Jamaica for the first time on a familiarisation mission, which resulted in newspaper, radio and television interviews, and a live performance.

compilation

Brimming with excitement, Nico D returned to Norway to produce his first compilation, Ruff Times. Recently, he was back in Jamaica to promote his five-track CD featuring Jah Mason and Admiral P, and to make further connections with stakeholders in the Jamaican music industry. The visit was sponsored by Puma and coordinated by Sean 'Kontractor' Edwards, his publicist.

Ruff Times, which Nico D describes as a social commentary, comprises Ruff Times (the title track) featuring Jah Mason, Woman of My Dreams, Mi Nuh Fraid, Handle The Pressure (featuring Admiral P) and In Love. The general feedback is good and it has been getting its fair share of airing on local radio.

To this he says, "The vibes are stronger from where I am from. I love the way the Jamaican people are just a musical people, people who understand music, not only love music, but they understand music. I think that is the greatest thing about Jamaica for me."

For the more than two weeks he had been here, he made the rounds to the most popular sessions including Passa Passa and Weddy Weddy, and opened a show for Capleton. "It is worth it and it even gonna get better and better, and I am going home inspired to finish my first album. I came here with certain goals and I have achieved them," he says of his visit.

Nico D wants to work with some of Jamaica's leading producers and plans to return in December for some of the big end-of-year shows. "The attention and acceptance I am getting here in Jamaica is gonna open up Norwegian people's eyes, not only to me as an artiste, but to reggae music," he declares.

paul.williams@gleanerjm.com