In the late ’60s, Toberua Island was a leading tourist destination in the country.
Located 10.5km east of Bau Landing, the tiny four-acre private island was where Suva businessmen and their families, and colonial administrators, would gather on weekends for a breather.
And while many flocked there for sun, sand and sea, others were quite happy to put their feet up and listen to the soothing sounds of the Toberua Island Serenaders.
The ensemble was highly regarded as one of the pre-eminent entertainment groups in the country at that time.
Led by legendary instrumentalist and singer Timoci Gucake (now deceased), the group drew a regular crowd to the island.
The lone surviving member of the group, Setariki Karavakula, said the time he spent with Gucake on the island was one of his extensive music career highlights.
“At that time there was no school of music, our ‘teacher’ was the radio or wireless as it was called,” the 73-year-old Tailevu native said.
“We used to listen carefully to the lyrics and then try to remember how the song went when we had our rehearsals.”
Karavakula said Toberua Island was their first gig and it was also the place where they did their first recording in 1968.
He said that year the Great Council of Chiefs meeting was held there and the Tui Nayau, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, was among the participants.
Karavakula said while they were entertaining at the bar in the evening, Ratu Mara kept thanking them for the way they performed their songs.
“After a few songs, he called me and told the leading radio announcer at that time, Yaminiasi Gaunavou, to record our songs at the hotel.”
Gaunavou was renowned as the country’s top radio announcer on the then Fiji Broadcasting Commission’s Radio Fiji One. “We were so lucky that both our recordings were done on Toberua Island.”
At the time, Gucake and Karavakula entertained as a duo. But when the opportunity to record came along, they decided to recruit a third voice and Joape Tova became a member of the Toberua Island Serenaders.
The recordings were a huge hit, and the serenaders became the toast of Suva because they presented classic iTaukei tunes and their smooth singing style and rich harmonies.
Karavakula said one of their biggest thrills was listening to comments people made when their songs were played over the radio.
He said many tourists and Fijians who visited the island after that said they came because they wanted to hear us live.
Karavakula said the recordings graduated them from a gigging band to recording artists and they benefited a lot from it.
“We worked together on our first recording while reinterpreting the classics, I began composing some songs.
“Some songs we composed together and so it goes like that,” said Karavakula.
Karavakula said one of Gucake’s favourite songs was Jing Tao Wha.
“Timoci loved that song and he was very skilful on the ukulele.”
He said sometimes the resort staff members would join the band in entertaining the crowd.
“During that time, there was a very famous villager from Dromuna who was well known at the hotel.
“His name was Viliame Ramatau, and he used to draw really big crowds too, he was known as the “one-man band”.
“He played the guitar, mouth organ and the kick drum at the same time.”
Karavakula left Toberua Island in 1973 and went to The Fijian Hotel (now Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort) in Nadroga.
After a few years there, he moved to the Tanoa Hotel in Nadi before going across the sea to Treasure Island Resort.
He completed his stint at Treasure Island and returned to Viti Levu where he landed a gig at the Isa Lei Hotel in Suva.
Karavakula was based in Lautoka before he scored a gig as bandleader at the First Landing Resort in Nadi and he was
there until COVID-19 hit our shores.
Karavakula said one incident that was a pivotal moment for the Toberua Island Serenaders was when a New Zealand tourist recorded the group and cut LP records of their songs.
That man was Terence O’Neill-Joyce.
The owner of Ode Records was exploring the opportunity of establishing a catalogue of recorded music and travelled to Fiji after being informed by a mate of the musically talented iTaukei people.
“One of my first recordings was Disc Full Of Sunshine for the IHC,” O’Neill- Joyce said.
“I found the perfect voice for this in Colin Raddock, who was in Wellington, he told me I should go to Fiji, and he said ‘You can stay with our family in Samabula’, and I did.
“It was then that I met the Samuels family and went on to forge links with the Fiji Broadcasting Commission – with the likes of Peniasi Ravutia, who was a senior program officer and Lasarusa Vusoniwailala.
“Peniasi complained about the lack of local discs to play.
“I suggested we rectify that and followed his lead by going to many villages and recording artists live.”
It was on one of these trips that O’Neill-Joyce found himself on an open boat to Toberua Island with recording gear.
He described Gucake as a “hilarious and positive character”.
“I was surprised when he sang falsetto.
“The instrumentalists were good, there were three LP records released and later I put them all on CD.
“I gave him 20 of each for his 80th birthday, I went back and asked him if he wanted more, and he said no, I went to the Indian shop in Lami and they made me lots of copies.
“I had to explain about piracy and got ticked off with him.
“I met him at the Fiji Performing Rights Association later, he came towards me carrying a rather large parcel.
“Inside was a very large turtle shell, which he gave me as a gift. Unfortunately, I gave it to Ravindra Patel, knowing I could not take it through Customs at the New Zealand border.
“I will never forget him.”
