Born in Africa, Tom Frager grew up in Guadeloupe where he became the most successful local surfer of his generation. He joined the French surf team and, with his guitar, wrote songs during his travels around the globe for competitions.
In 2002 he formed the group GWAYAV 'with four friends, musicians and surfers. Their debut album "Bloom Inside" has sold around 5,000 copies. Tom Frager mixes pop, rock, reggae, ska and gypsy jazz original melodies and comparing breaking pace. His influences range from reggae to rock to Bob Marley to Sublime via Pop Soul by Jason Mraz.
Tom Frager has co-written with other artists, such as the triple world champion Tom Curren surfing or Amen Viana, guitarist Keziah Jones. It includes ensuring the early parts of Alpha Blondy, Toots & the Maytals, Patrice, Groundation, Sizzla, Sublime Tribute, the People of the Grass and performed on major festivals such as French Francofolies de La Rochelle or The Extravagance Biarritz. Tom Frager & Gwayav gave almost 400 concerts in 7 years.
Gwadinina
Tom Frager Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De passé des années à regarder les waves
Et la vie qui donne
Envie de chanter
Le reggae des îles,
La gwada qui brille
Et les Alysées qui sonnent
Les premiers dessins
D'un rêve caribéenne
Qui jamais ne nous abandonne.
Ouai cé sa nou yé (Ouai c'est ce qu'on est) Tou lé jou nou bizwen
senti papillon-là! (tous les jours on a besoin de sentir le papillon)
La mwen kay en Gwada
Cé sa ki ka ban mwen foss la
Kadoret ka voyé 2, 3 lyrics bien pagna
Piou ka fé mwen couté
Les tous derniers reggæ
Original Viloin
N'est jamais jamais vraiment loin
La bande à MGS
Ka baw li sans stress
Le Jah et le Fredo
Ka met la pression à l'eau
Fo mwen di yo combien
Yo ka compté tou les jou
Gwayav' ka ba mwen du roots
Tom Frager's song Gwadinina is about the beauty and joy of life in the Caribbean islands, particularly in Guadeloupe (Gwadinina in Creole). The opening lines suggest that the singer and his friends have spent many years watching the waves while feeling inspired to sing reggae, the music of the islands. The mention of Alysées, which likely refers to the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, suggests that the singer may have felt drawn to the Caribbean as an escape from the monotonous life in the city.
In the second verse, the "Tim" character is credited with creating the first sketches of a Caribbean dream that never fades away. The singer and his friends feel proud of who they are and want to continue feeling the thrill of being alive every day. The mention of feeling the butterfly ("senti papillon") may refer to the feeling of excitement or anticipation that comes with experiencing new things. The third verse seems to feature a conversation with someone in Guadeloupe, who sends some lyrics and recommends some reggae artists to check out, such as Original Viloin.
The fourth and final verse mentions "la bande à MGS," perhaps a reference to a group of friends or a band, and their appreciation for the laid-back, stress-free lifestyle that they have in Guadeloupe. The mention of "Jah et le Fredo" suggests that they might be involved in the local reggae scene. The last line of the song, "Gwayav' ka ba mwen du roots," roughly translates to "Guava gives me some roots," implying that the singer feels a sense of connection to the land and culture of Guadeloupe through its local fruits and foods.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes on avait tous les
Yes, we all had the
De passé des années à regarder les waves
Spent years watching the waves
Et la vie qui donne
And the life that gives
Envie de chanter
The desire to sing
Le reggae des îles,
The reggae of the islands,
La gwada qui brille
The shining Gwada
Et les Alysées qui sonnent
And the Alysées that ring
Le Tim a tracé
Tim drew
Les premiers dessins
The first sketches
D'un rêve caribéenne
Of a Caribbean dream
Qui jamais ne nous abandonne.
That never abandons us.
Ouai cé sa nou yé
Yes, that's what we are
Tou lé jou nou bizwen
Every day we need
senti papillon-là!
To feel that butterfly!
La mwen kay en Gwada
Here in Gwada,
Cé sa ki ka ban mwen foss la
That's what gives me strength
Kadoret ka voyé 2, 3 lyrics bien pagna
Kadoret sends me 2 or 3 great lyrics
Piou ka fé mwen couté
Piou makes me listen
Les tous derniers reggæ
The latest reggae
Original Viloin
Original Viloin
N'est jamais jamais vraiment loin
Is never really far away
La bande à MGS
MGS's crew
Ka baw li sans stress
Give it to him without stress
Le Jah et le Fredo
Jah and Fredo
Ka met la pression à l'eau
Put pressure on the water
Fo mwen di yo combien
I have to tell them how much
Yo ka compté tou les jou
They count every day
Gwayav' ka ba mwen du roots
Gwayav' gives me some roots
Writer(s): Henry Daurel, Thomas Frager Copyright: Universal Music Publishing
Contributed by Oliver T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.