Norig is a French artist, whose music beautifully amalgamates elements of traditional Balkan music, swing jazz, tango and classical music, putting on a fantastic bridge between classical and contemporary music. After selling more than 10,000 copies of her debut album, ‘Gadji’, she’s coming back with another release in October, titled ‘Ionela’. We caught her up for a little chat regarding her Indian tour (dates mentioned at the bottom), her musical journey and her general interests. Read on!
Eight Octaves: Greetings from Eight Octaves! This will be your first visit to India, I believe so. You will be playing across many cities. What are your expectations from the crowd and the country?
Norig: I’ve been to India more than 10 years ago, though not for singing. That was in Bangalore. I met new people, discovered so many different things, another culture, another way of living… I never forgot the jasmine perfume and the incredible food.
I don’t want to have any expectations. I prefer to live and see what comes to me. I just hope the audience enjoys our music.
Eight Octaves: ‘Gadji’ offers us a beautiful, artful sound which is so melodious and easy to listen to. It sold more than 10,000 copies too. How did you feel after your debut effort reached to such a successful point?
Norig: It should have sold more (I’m just joking!). I just feel that I worked with wonderful musicians like Sébastien Giniaux who wrote the music for the album. He also played lead guitars and cello; he made the sound very special as he comes from classical music and jazz. Also Victor Coman, who is a gypsy musician! He played the accordion so beautifully with soul of Tango and Moldavian music.
Eight Octaves: You collaborated with Tony Gatlif to work for the soundtrack of the movie ‘Exiles’ this year. How was the experience of working with him?
Norig: It was a rather unique experience, I went into the recording studio to listen to a friend who was singing for him and when he knew even I was a singer, he asked me to sing a cappella in front of everyone. He offered me to come back the next day to sing in the soundtrack. It was improvisation but more than all, we worked again together in a magnificent spectacle “Django Drom” about Django Reinhardt with great musicians from Jazz Manouche.
Eight Octaves: Tell us more about the upcoming album, ‘Ionela’. What can fans expect from it?
Norig: It will be very different from the first, it was necessary for me to write my words in French. The music had to be different, to be right with the texts. Sébastien Giniaux who composed and arranged every song worked a lot on the disc’s different colors of melodies. There are Balkan inspirations, but we wanted a more rock sound, which is we included drums. The guitars used are electric, but you will still find a cello and a piano in the set-up. This album is a continuation of the first but also the result of a long artistic work. It was made with sincerity and dedication.
Eight Octaves: Everyone has a story which tells us about how they grow up to being what they are. What is yours? How did you end up being a musician?
Norig: My father was a teacher who taught classical guitar. So I grew up listening to a lot of music. I have always loved to sing. Chance encounters bring me to my singing teacher Martina Catella, musicians who accompanied me on the road I chose. I did not expect to be a singer. I just liked to shout something once; the gypsy song was like my cry.
Eight Octaves: Your music is an assortment of traditional Balkan music and swing jazz. Who would be your primary influences?
Norig: I think the influences are more than Balkan music and Jazz! There are essences of classical music and tango as well… These are not just my influences but also influences of the musicians who have written the arrangements and composed the songs… Basically, I listen to all kinds of music, and each one of them can be an inspiration.
Eight Octaves: What other interests do you have besides music?
Norig: My interests are to do creative stuff with friends or alone, but to do it with pleasure! And passion!
Eight Octaves: Have you heard any Indian artists, lately? If yes, do you have any favourites?
Norig: Not really, but I have watched a lot of Indian movies from Bollywood with my gypsy friend. For example, I loved Devdas.
Also, I know a French dancer; her name is Céline Pradeu. She’s Half-Indian, and she mixes contemporary dance forms with the Indian ones. It’s very interesting to me personally.
Eight Octaves: What’s your schedule during the time you are in India? You have planned to go sightseeing or it’s just going to be a trip back home after the concerts?
Norig: We’ll have a concert in France 3 days after our show in Delhi, so we aren’t going to stay for much long. I hope I’ll discover places between our concerts in Pondicherry, Hyderabad and Delhi, if I can.
Norig is coming to India on a 5-city tour. So if you are dying to listen to some good music you’re somewhere near the undermentioned places, make a visit.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013 – Museum Theatre, Chennai
Wednesday, September 4, 2013 – Lister Square, JIPMER, Pondicherry
Friday, September 6, 2013 – Alliance Francaise, Bangalore
Saturday, September 7, 2013 – Hotel Taj Banjara, Hyderabad Tuesday, September 10, 2013 – The Flying Sauceur, New Delhi
