Reggae singer Naâman arrives in New Zealand for shows as part of his Pacific Tour this November. The French artist, who will be accompanied by DJ/producer Fatbabs, kindly fielded some exclusive questions from The Groove Thief. Learn more about Naâman prior to his Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch gigs.

TGT: You’re in the midst of bouncing around the southern hemisphere for nearly a month between Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and Tahiti – how has the tour been so far, what can your New Zealand fans look forward to, and what do you appreciate about being so far from home?

N: We are very grateful to see how the tour is going. All those countries we’ve crossed, venues have been sold out and the people were so lovely. They know the lyrics, they know the vibe, pure sharing.

Our New Zealand fans can expect a show with my DJ, Fatbabs. We will play a mix of the three albums we have released, much energy, much love.

Being far from home is a change. Our relationship with the people is easy and simple. We have a much lighter set up for the stage than we are used to in Europe, so it has been a bigger challenge to make it sound the way we want.

TGT: Creatively, do you prefer touring after an album is released – where there are expectations all around for new material to be played – or touring like you are now, less connected to a specific artistic release?

N: It’s a nice feeling to promote an album we just finished; it is good to see how the people react to our new stuff. Touring without any expectation from the crowd is also very nice, giving more space to the freestyle is good for health! But this tour is kind of an extension of our European tour for the last album Beyond, so we’re still promoting!

TGT: You’ve been laying down tracks with producer and DJ Fatbabs for some time now – how has your musical relationship evolved, and what are the pros and cons of working with a single producer on an album or project?

N: Making music with the same producer for many years has been for me a big plus. I believe that working with the same person improves very much the communication in the creative process, which is a crucial point. It helps me to strengthen my musical identity as well. It has been a choice until now but I’m free in the process and I like working with different beatmakers as well.

We founded our own label together, Big Scoop Records, so it’s good for all of us to go that way.

TGT: I’m curious: with 200k+ followers on Facebook, how have you adapted your promotion and social media strategy in the last few years to ensure you are still reaching interested fans while attracting new ones?

N: Since the beginning of the project, the social medias have played a major role – we try to entertain the social community with more content, not only music but tour reports, and lately we have organized a cover contest. We do our best to keep the interaction and reply to the messages we receive.

TGT: What are your thoughts on the current French reggae scene, and also being a French reggae artist? Or do you prefer to be viewed as a reggae artist who just happens to come from France?

N: Despite the inexistence of reggae music on national medias, the reggae scene in France is very active and fills up venues and festivals. In France, a lot of people of different ages are real reggae supporters and, let’s even say, French Reggae supporters.

Being a French artist has many advantages: our country helps culture a lot, our venues are very well equipped, and we have great musicians and technicians.

Anyway, our will is to have an international recognition so the “French label” is not a priority for us.

More info:
Naâman Facebook

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