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‘Fakawela’ online music fundraiser aimed to assist struggling musicians
Renowned composer and performer William “Bigwilz” Waqanibaravi is hosting a ‘fakawela’ music fundraiser this evening beginning at 6pm. Bigwilz said the music show would feature his backing band The Guruz of Groove. The band features bassist Philip Tigarea, guitarist Tawake “Tux” Jackson, drummer Johnny Bola and fellow Makare band member Phil Dakei. “A lot of...
A murder and a song – Living life through music
One would not expect a song about the brutal murder of a young woman to become a hit. But the story of the tragic slaying of 20-year-old schoolteacher Evelyn Nair called Talanoa Ni Noqu Sota Kaya took the Senirauvula Group from obscurity to fame. The abduction and horrific events that led to the Niusawa Methodist...
‘Delta Tiger’ recalls musical journey
Singing the bhajan involves singing from the depth of your heart, as itsw aim is for singers to completely immerse themselves in song and become one in their longing for the divine. And when one thinks of a devotee who has the gift of connecting listeners to the Gods through this devotional songs, one name...
Singing medicine man
By day, he is a renowned doctor and surgeon. But when his shift is over and he hangs up his stethoscope, Dr Ravneil Divnesh Singh gets immersed in his other passion — music. His love for rhythm, rhyme and melody and composing original music has caught the attention of the music fraternity in Fiji. Dr...
Milan’s musical journey
Manjeet Milan’s musical journey began in Tabia, Labasa, where he started gaining popularity during his childhood in the late ’80s. The 33-year-old, who now lives in Beaumont Rd, Narere in Nasinu, has released seven kirtan albums and said he was working on his eighth. Milan is an exponent of kirtan — a musical form of...
A big will to keep old songs alive
Songs of old still have a place in today’s COVID-19 stricken world. That’s what William ‘Bigwilz’ Waqanibaravi established after analysing the response to his online charity concert event on Tuesday. The Suva-based singer-songwriter said he did not expect people to respond to the ‘Lockdown Aid Livestream’ the way that they did. At the time this...
Making music that lasts forever
Jone Rusa still remembers the nights when his father, Ulaiasi Vasuitaukei, would get home from work with a couple of bags of yaqona and ask for a mix. Rusa said he and his brother, Joji Toge, would leave whatever they were doing and get the utensils ready. They knew the night would be a combination...
Georgina’s still got her groove
SOME artists burst on to the music scene, shine brightly for a short space of time and fade away. And then there are those whose musicianship and talent is such that it cannot be contained. These are the timeless artists who stubbornly refuse to cave in to the ever-changing kaleidoscope of popular music. They refuse...
The ‘rubbish halls’ and swaying couples
BACK in the day, “rubbish halls” were the dance venues of choice for Fijians living in rural and peri-urban areas. The roofing iron, bamboo and coconut leaf sheds were where villagers or rural dwellers would gather on the weekends to unwind after a hard week’s toil. There, they would sit in groups around a tanoa...
Michelle’s passion, love for music
SHE’S been compared with Sade, and some have even likened her voice to that of Whitney Houston. “I was like, ‘oh please’,” she said in dubiety. Her name is Michelle Rounds and anyone who followed the Suva music scene during the 1980s and 1990s will recall her jazzy and scatty style. At a time when...
Samli finally releases her dream album
UTRA Samli has been singing Hindu religious songs or spiritual chants known as kirtan from as far back as she can remember. The 60-year-old grandmother’s dream of capturing her voice on record finally came true when she released her first kirtan album in 2014. The former Boubale, Bulileka, Labasa resident said her four children, who...
Group bounces back with a love song
ONE of the world’s biggest reggae bands, UB40, shares a close affiliation with Fiji. I’m not speaking about the English group’s 2006 tour of the country or the song Fijian Sunset penned by lead singer Ali Campbell, inspired by his trip here. UB40 was signed to Graduate Records, the same company that signed Whizz For...
Pandemic a blessing in disguise for musician
THE COVID-19 pandemic has been a blessing in disguise for musician William Waqanibaravi enabling him to work on his newly released album Rai Lesu. Known in the local music industry as Big Wilz, the Dakuiloa native of Oneata said the pandemic gave him time to finish his album especially after being laid off from Fiji...
Music group makes a name for itself
NAMADI Heights in Suva is renowned as the home to some of the Capital City’s more affluent citizens. But tucked behind the gated homes and luxurious structures is an informal settlement that is home to hundreds who are trying to eke out a living and better their lives. And out of the corrugated iron and...
Shoeshine boys turn to music
IN 1979, concerned about the plight of shoeshine boys in Suva, former social justice advocate and Catholic priest Father Kevin Barr formed a music group called Super Shine 81. Interestingly enough, the group was made up of descendants of early settlers from the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu who had made Suva their home. One of...
