From funky bass lines to sign-writing – How a rising musician left the night gigs to raise a family

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Jonetani Raivotu (left) and Ken Janson at the Golden Dragon night club in 1970. Picture PATRICK NAGIMA

Jonetani Raivotu is well known in the bus industry as a sign-writer. From the mid ’70s to date, his works of art have emblazoned the sides of the many buses that zig zag across the Capital City.

“If you come to Wailea, Vatuwaqa, or ask anybody in the bus business – they all know me as Jone Signwriter,” the 72-year-old chuckled.

But wind the clock back 50 years and Raivotu was a force to be reckoned with as he pounded away on his bass guitar at the mecca for live music in Fiji – the Golden Dragon night club in Suva.

He rubbed shoulders with Fiji’s musical elite and painted the walls of the Victoria Pde night spot with his funky bass lines, woven in between the tight grooves of the country’s premier drummer at the time – the legendary Paul Stephen.

But just how did the man from Matuku, Lau, find his way to the top of Fiji’s music scene?

“I grew up in a very musical family.

“My father, Jonetani Kaukavesu, was a very famous composer in Matuku and my brother, Paula “Rio” also made his name as a drummer in the Western Division.

“My family is also very well known in Christian music circles, they have a very popular ‘polotu’ album out on CD.”

Raivotu also has a very famous nephew in Freddy Kado – a former members of Fiji’s most successful musical exports, Black Rose.

The members of Fiji’s famous Reggae band, Exodus, which include the Moore brothers – Henry and Freddy – and the Heatley brothers – Leo and Steven – are also counted as family via his wife.

Raivotu’s musical journey began in 1952 when he was brought to Viti Levu for education as a five-year-old. He attended Suva Methodist Primary and then Mahatma Gandhi Memorial School and Suva Grammar School.

“We were one of the first tenants at Amy Apartments in Toorak.

“Suva, and especially Toorak, was a happening place at the time, a lot of good musicians came out of Turaki.”

Raivotu’s first taste of the live music scene in Suva was as a member of a family band which went by the name Sandy Beach Serenaders.

“We performed at the Old Town Hall (now Vineyard Restaurant) and the Coffee Lounge in Nina Street (now Bargain Box), Suva Hotel and over time we became quite famous in Suva.”

In 1969, the Golden Dragon was where fledgling musicians earned their stripes. And once they made a name for themselves onstage, each was welcomed into the inner sanctum of Fiji’s music elite club.

It happened that club owner Ken Jansen was looking for a replacement to the famous Dragon Swingers which included music giants like Sakiusa Bulicokocoko, Wise Vatuwaqa and Rupeni Davui.

“Ken heard about us and asked me if I could put a band together and play there, and of course, I said yes.”

The new-look Dragon Swingers included Raivotu on bass guitar, Paul Stephen on drums, Arone Paspatu on keyboard and Maxie Columbus on lead guitar with Ken Janson taking centre stage as the lead vocalist.

“We played a lot of pop, rock and roll and funk, a lot of Beatles and Rolling Stones numbers.

“We were just thrilled to be on stage at the Golden Dragon because it was the top place to play back then.”

Raivotu made a name for himself as a bass guitarist to be reckoned with.

His punchy and funky bass lines along with Stephen’s drum grooves made the duo one of the tightest rhythm sections in the land at the time.

The band rocked the Capital City and Raivotu stayed with the group until he met the love of his life, Florence Moore, in 1972.

“After we met and decided to get hitched, I made one of the toughest decisions – I left the band and the musical scene.

“The late nights was not a good way to raise a family. “And I took up sign-writing as a job and worked in hotels as a barman in between.

“I loved playing music, it was a huge part of my life but when it came to raising my kids, I knew that I had to make sacrifices, so I did what I had to do.”

These days Raivotu still does the odd sign-writing gig but prefers to spend time with his 20 grandchildren.

“As you get older, your whole perspective on life changes.

“I really miss the old Suva, people were friendlier and everyone had time to stop and say ‘bula’, these days everyone is in a rush. Even the music scene has changed a lot.”

More than half a century after he decided to hang up his bass guitar for good, Raivotu said he is ready to make a comeback.

“If Maxie and Paspatu come from the United States and say they want us to reform, I am ready to give it one last shot.

“Maybe we can go on stage one last time at the Golden Dragon and bring back the music that used to rock Suva in the late ‘60s and ‘70s.”

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