Page 45 - IB April 2022

Music Music

jazz and blues, country and a little bit of rock. But she was Rore from USP. I went and joined the Pasifika voices and I
also looking at what her local heroes—Seru Serevi, Saimone asked them, look you don’t mind if I sit in your class. Master
Vuatalevu, Teresa Purcell and Mele Diumuri—were doing. Ete was going - wow! Laisa Vulakoro sitting in my class!
“I realised that for me to make a name in this country it’s “Damiano and Calvin helped me and Allan Alo (famed Samo-
not jazz, I’ve got to go in the Vude trend. That’s what the an dancer), isa Allan Alo RIP as well. Allan did a musical called
population likes – Fijian music. That’s the reason why I went A Love for Life. It was on the big stage at the Civic Centre for
into Fijian music, and I started writing my own songs.” about a week. It was about a person who had contracted AIDS.
Vude is a genre incorporating chanting and meke beats, They asked me to be the bubu in there.
mixed with country, rock and disco. “I was also asked to go and teach at FNU (Fiji National Uni-
“When I go overseas [and] people ask me what is vude…If I versity) with Seru Serevi.
translate to you, literally it is floating on water, and I do the “I started getting myself involved with young people.”
action. And when you hear my music, your body relaxes like Vulakoro also got involved in sports administration. She was
floating on water. That’s how you describe vude.” asked to become the Fiji Women’s Volleyball team manager
Vulakoro identifies as an Indigenous artist: “I feel it’s my and took the team to the Oceania Games in New Caledonia in
responsibility as an influencer in music to use my music to try 2010 where they won gold.
and preserve my culture ... that is one of my biggest objec- “All these things really helped me in my recovery,” says
tives. Vulakoro. “I’m so grateful for all the opportunities that were
“I write songs about village settings, about culture, about thrown in my path to make me better. I find that it was all
fishing, anything to do with the setting of the Fijian tradi- God’s hand at work to make me feel good as I am today. I
tional way of life -whatever is left there for us to hang on to recognised what I needed to do to get better.”
and to preserve and maintain. And if I can do this through my
music then I’m the happiest person.” The new generation
She believes the older musicians she performed with at the
Overcoming adversity start of her career provided her with a great foundation.
Vulakoro was diagnosed with cancer when her youngest son “I suppose there was no internet or social media,” says
was three months old. Vulakoro. “Nowadays with the young musicians, there is a
“When I was first told I had this growth on my head, I lot of copying. In our days we had to find it inside ourselves
couldn’t believe it,” she says. “I thought this kind of thing to bring it out. There was not much out there in our time to
happens to other people - it’s happening to me - no way! That learn from.”
was my first reaction. But reality check – it was happening, She is pleased to see the crop of new artists composing new
and I accepted it.” songs.
Vulakoro was treated in Australia. “I looked at the doctor Vulakoro tells the young people she mentors ‘you must have
and said death is not an option. a clean heart’.
“God gave me this child at 47-and-a-half, and he has to give “You keep your heart happy and clean then there is no room
me my strength, he can’t take my life now. You do your job; there for anything else. That’s the best way you can deliver
I’m going to get better to look after my son. My heart has so your music – it comes from a clean, good place. For it to hit
much faith. I know in my heart; this thing is not going to take from your heart to another heart it has to come from a good
me.” heart. Only then it can make an impact on people’s lives.”
She was told that she would lose much of her short-term Finally, we asked Vulakoro about whether she will join poli-
memories, and her confidence. tics as Fiji goes to the polls this year.
“Well, I lost all that. I couldn’t sing, I couldn’t remember “Who said that?” she retorted!
names. I would be thinking of something and something else “To be honest with you, I’m not really prepared for that
would come out of my mouth. I couldn’t even walk. I had to (joining politics) at the moment.
learn to walk again because my balance was off. But I told “I’m raising a young son and I’m a solo parent and that is
myself, that’s it. I came back here and started my exercise, my priority right now. I will support them (political parties),
my walks, my swimming – we live in an area where we have a I was a member of SODELPA, and I have been over the years
river just behind. And I just made sure that I eat right, and I from SVT to SDL, Qarase wholeheartedly and of course
think I’ve become fitter than what I was before.” SODELPA. I will support in any way I can but right now my
Vulakoro says that she jokes to people - “a big part of my priority is my family and my son who I’m raising. So, politics is
brain has been taken off - they put plastic covering and it’s second to that and I’m not really prepared for anything right
grown back with my tissues, and I’ve become more clever! now. I will not be standing.”
“But back then I couldn’t even remember my lyrics.”
She decided to go back to school as part of her recovery. editor@islandsbusiness.com
“I went to ask master Ete and Damiano Logaivau and Calvin

Islands Business, April 2022 45