South African based Ugandan Music sensation Mc/Dj Norman’s flag is flying down South after he was featured in one of the land’s best-selling newspapers ‘The New Age’ for making a breakthrough in the country’s tricky music industry, thanks to his chart bursting single Bikini Riddim.
Mc Norman’s featuring in the local press there, follows the wide covering of the fallen philanthropist Ivan Ssemwanga, who surprisingly was a relative to the deceased, has aptly made the Ugandan entertainment fraternity their proud.
In the interview he held with Siyabonga Sithole, MC.Norman talked about his journey from his humble grass roots in Uganda, to South Africa where he has been holed up for several years trying to find his musical footing in the very competitive industry in the country.
The Reggae and Dancehall crooner released the still chart busting song in April 2017.
Norman who is International Recording artist, Composer and Writer is affiliated to the Sheer Publishing Group at the time dropped the song in preparation for his 2017 music project that will see him out an album by the end of the year.
Prior to the song , MC Norman had released yet another single titled Special Request ‘No Lies’, a song that was dropped just five months after the release of his other international chart bursting single ‘Burning Up’ that topped charts the world over.
That was produced by Sanch Beatz and remixed by Kron Production and published by Sheer Publishing Pty Ltd under the auspices of Label Celeb Africa Entertainment.
Mc Norman born Ronald Mutebi on 6 November 1978 in Uganda is a son to Mr. Eddy Ganja, a Ugandan music legend, Soloist and vocalist with the Afrigo band with his six siblings.
At the age of 12 started off his music career in Afrigo band working with Joanita Kawalya and Peterson Mutebi way back in 1987.
He later joined MM Disco Sounds, Missouri night club and worked with guyz like the late Ivan Matama, Dj Olubba Style and Rhino Kalemba now of Rhino K sounds before joining Jose chameleon and Dj Bernazo as dancers and Mc’s for Missouri club.
Mc Norman is a widely acknowledged Mc after working with Sam Amooti and paddy at Jaaja Ansinansi (Nansana) and working at vibration disco club alongside junior plies compious, Dj Roberto, and Dj Henry. He joined his brother and former Bakayimbira Drama actors Philip Ganja in South Africa in 1998 after briefly working at vibes sound.
Together with his brother, Norman started a music and films Production company under their father’s name “Ganja” music production to basically help upgrade talent.
The two brothers have worked with some of the top South African Kwaito artists including Arthur Mafokate, the late Zombo, Purity and Penny penny the Shangani music star. Their Film Company has produced movies like “welcome to south Africa” which sold up to two million copies in Uganda and 5000 copies in South Africa on the day of its release. They also produced “Bulandina”, a tribute film about the life of fallen star Paul Kafero.
Mc Norman has released singles like “I remember the day, Agayaaye Feat King Saha, Nkubira Feat Papa Cidy, Sweet Babe, and Ndiyabuza alongside Rustenburg based South African top vocalist.
When Lucky Dube died, it seems he took with him not only his rare legacy, but reggae as a whole. Few musicians even dare to do reggae songs these days and yet it is still a relevant genre.
The Ugandan singer, who is based in South Africa, emerged on the scene when the music industry needed a hero. Let’s face it, we have all the house, rock and hip hop music to last a couple of years.
With Jah Seed seemingly retired from the music scene it is a little gloomy for the conscious reggae heads.
In an earlier interview, the singer talked about his album Lover’s Rock boasts 11 tracks that have deep reggae roots yet are tweaked to meet current musical trends. “I write music from things that I experience in my life,” said the animated singer.
“I write a song so many times as therapy for the things that I go through. As we speak I have about 275 unreleased songs that just came from stuff I was going through.”
If you listen to the refreshing Lover’s Rock you will wish you had the 275 cuts on one CD, but for now we have to be patient.
“No matter how hard you try, you can never forget the first time you met the one you love. This is where I took the idea of this song from. The first meeting is always a special one because everyone is still curious and they don’t know much about each other so they enjoy the curiosity,” he said.
For someone who is not originally from Jamaica it is interesting that his patois is on point. You would think Buju Banton or Beanie Man was on the mic. But being born to Eddy and Rossette Ganja in Uganda in 1975, when reggae and ragga were the staple sounds, there was no escape for the young Mc Norman.
“I am not competing with kwaito, R&B, or Afro-pop. I am just doing something totally different.” “People love reggae and, let’s face it, no one is doing it,” he explained.
To make his presence felt and perhaps spread the appreciation of his genre, Mc Norman has been working at incorporating local artists. “I have been communicating with the Lucky Dube Band and there may be something coming out of that.
“Also, I am working hard at establishing the culture of karaoke in South Africa because in Jamaica that helps people appreciate new music there.”
Indeed with the release of ‘Bikini Riddim’ MC Norman has now stamped his claim on the best Reggea/Dancehall accolade circuit in Africa and the nod he is now receiving from the country’s media confirm that he has finally made his mark.