A COLLECTIVE passion for music is what first drew the members of Kala Bline together, a mixture of seasoned musicians and rookies, all of whom grew up in Raiwaqa.
The band won the Pacific Youth Festival theme song competition which they wrote, composed and performed at the 2009 festival.
The name Kala Bline is actually Colour Blind spelt our way. It means we see things equally not by the different colour, jobs or race, said band spokesperson Harold Koi.
They are a 10-piece outfit consisting of guitarists, a harmonica player and a drummer and they play everything from Rotuman ballads and original songs to funk, reggae, jazz, blues and soft rock.
The group consists of Ioane Burese, Harold Koi, George Epeli, Tui Lui, Phillip Tigare, Etienne Rabaka, Isoa Rabaka, Ateca Ravuvu, Asesela Ravuvu and Marcellin Tawake.
The band has been together for almost several years now. The band brings together a mixture of rock, blues, jazz, swing, reggae, slow rock and even folk, Mr Koi said.
A friend of the band suggested they participate in the French Music Festival and they are looking forward to showcasing some purely Kala Bline originality with their easy-listening music on June 21 at the Fiji Museum.
Mr Koi said band members wanted to take their music beyond the walls of his sitting room where their practice sessions are often held and share it on stage.
Plus the French Music Festival brings a stepping stone to a broad spectrum of musicians and music lovers. Its the perfect place to expose ourselves and take our music up another notch, he said.
We hope to record our music one day, and go seriously into composing original tunes and lyrics. Songs with stories we in Fiji can relate to, he added.