Music

By Ben Wheeler Take one Swedish pop band – the finest you can find – add a hint of the Italian language, a Greek setting, a universal tale of love lost, and a quest for identity. Bring to the boil with an Irish Australian director and sprinkle liberally with Fijian talent – you can find […]

By Rowena Singh “There’s never a last song,” says InsideOut lead singer and guitarist, Apakuki Nalawa about the band’s ability to fill dancefloors. “We have to literally run off the stage. People just don’t want to stop partying, dancing and singing.” InsideOut’s passion, iTaukei lyrics, melody and instrumentation has brought them fame across Fiji and […]

By Prerna Priyanka As anticipation for the Fiji Fringe Festival builds, one name stands out among the performers—Skillz Fj, the Sunshine Coast based musician, and a proud advocate for his unique heritage. Since migrating to Australia in 2020, Samuela Konusi Taukave (aka Skillz Fj) has seen his musical career, powered by his vibrant personality and […]

By Elizabeth Kolivuso Fiji’s ‘Vude Queen’ will become the dancing queen as the star of iconic hit musical, Mamma Mia, when it is staged in Fiji next year. Laisa Vulakoro will star in Mamma Mia in February, which is being presented alongside the second Fiji Fringe Festival as part of Arts Season 2024.  The Fiji […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti V5’s jazzy, soulful, and bluesy songs have a sound that sets them apart from many Fijian performers. So it is a shock to learn that the band members, 15-year-old Lia Daunakamakama, her sister 18-year-old Jasmine, and their close friend Vika Tuisawau, are so young. Vika’s brother, Sevuloni is the fourth member, and […]

Fiji’s original music competition, Domo Vou Talei, is on the hunt once again for Fiji’s next big star! This year’s Competition, funded by the Australian High Commission and others, hopes to unearth and showcase the incredible talent of more aspiring musicians in Fiji. In 2022, Domo Vou Talei launched the music careers of artists like […]

This year’s World Music Day celebrations in Fiji makes a grand return with a fantastic all-Fijian lineup. The event first began in France in 1982, and is now celebrated annually in over 100 countries including Fiji.  It gathers professional and amateur musicians, from mixed musical universes, languages and communities, to share their passion for music […]

By Rowena Singh Hanging up his stethoscope and embracing music has transformed Suva doctor, Rayneil Singh into an award-winning performer. When the FIPRA (Fiji Performing Rights Association) awards were held for the first time in a couple of years (due to Covid) in October, his name rang out six times. Dr Singh, aka Ra V, […]

Part Two: Reflections of the Fiji Fringe with Sharleen Ali By Ben Wheeler Sharleen Ali is dynamic. She bristles with a creative energy that seems to produce so many thoughts a minute that if there was a way to convert them to electricity, her ideas could power a small village. It is this potency that […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti The 10th FIPRA (Fiji Performing Rights Association) Awards 2023 promises to be glamourous celebration of the original work of Fijian artists, filled with good food, good company, and amazing live performances. FIPRA’s Chairman, Eremasi Tamanisau, says “the awards celebrate the many different composers, vocalists, instrumentalist artists, recording engineers, and musicians for sustaining […]

Classical operatic singing is becoming a regular feature of Fiji events, thanks to the talented vocal group, Pasifika Prima Voce. Founded by Sunia Soko Loga, a classical vocalist who has returned to Fiji after years studying music at Kosin University in Busan, Korea, the group leaves audiences rapt with their powerful, harmonious voices and stagecraft. […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti “I think the Fiji Fringe Festival is a great initiative for artists to bring their ‘A’ game and showcase their talent because we are trying to encourage children that they can have a career in art and can also be their mainstream of income that they can aspire to.” – Soko Loga […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti “I would say every moment behind the equipment is tailor-made because we are creating and mixing live. What happens here may not happen on another night.” – Albert Eastgate The Fiji Fringe Festival will feature not one, but two DJs, who will collaborate to create a mix of music and an original […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti “My act is focused more on those who enjoy listening to good, soulful, and groovy music.” – Natalie Raikadroka Natalie Raikadroka’s songs are sung by people of all ages across Fiji, and she is a favourite entertainer when it comes to national athletic events like Coca-Cola games. The songstress has been in […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti “Come with an open heart and mind, and you will leave a little lighter,” Peni (Ben) Masirewa says of his upcoming gig at the Fiji Fringe Festival. The talented guitarist intends to use a variety of guitar styles to transport his audience on a journey of tranquillity and surprises during his upcoming […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti Popular Fiji vocalist, Etta Gonerogo has planned an epic three-hour show for the Fiji Fringe Festival, complete with a band and backing vocalists. The performance will include her original songs, cover songs, Hindi songs, recent hits, and old favourites. Etta will also feature ‘The West Fiji’ or Suliasi Uluilakeba, whose famous song […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti “If you think you will come in expecting to be seated, we guarantee you will be burning the dance floor. That’s the promise of VT1S band manager, Tikiko Korocowiri, ahead of the band’s Fiji Fringe Festival show on March 4. VT1S (pronounced Viti Ones), a platform set up by music lable VTBOP […]

By Rowena Singh Deeper Sounds, Deeper Connections is a Pacific-Australian project which shares the unique music of the Pacific with the world. Working with groups of musicians across the region, it captures traditional instruments, melodies, songs and voices, and distils them into sample packs for DJs, producers, film makers, music makers and Australian music schools.  Fiji’s […]

The U.S. Pacific Fleet Band’s woodwind quintet Tradewinds will perform a series of concerts in Suva and on Vanua Levu from September 14 – 21 in support of ongoing cultural exchange between the United States and Fiji.  The musical ensemble, which serves under the United States Pacific Fleet, will hold public concerts on Thursday, September […]

By Rowena Singh “Performing is more than just me standing up and singing a song in front of people; it is a chance for me to share a vision and a mission,” says Tonga’s Mia Kami. Kami’s original songs are full of meaning, delivered in her warm, effortless voice. A student at the University of […]

By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti Suva’s Nasese bus has the reputation of being not just a scenic trip as it skirts Suva’s foreshore, but also a good place to sit back and enjoy the preferred tunes of your driver turned DJ. While the view might be—we hope temporarily—marred by long-running roadwork on Queen Elizabeth Drive, the chilled […]

After a vigorous shortlisting process, 10 finalists have been chosen by the Domo Vou Talei music competition panel of judges and will now receive ten weeks of coaching from industry experts. Over 130 eclectic entries were received from all over Fiji in the new competition for original music. The Domo Vou Talei judges said the […]