Music of Fiji
Encyclopedia
Fiji
is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean
. Though geographically Melanesia
n, the music of Fiji is more Polynesia
n in character. Nevertheless, Fijian folk styles are distinct in their fusion of Polynesian and Melanesian traditions
. Folk music is dominated by vocal church music, as well as dances characterized by rich harmony and complex percussion
made from slit drums or natural materials.
, ukulele
and mandolin
along with a variety of indigenous instruments, most commonly lali
drums, which are now used to call the people of an area together. Lali drums were an important part of traditional Fijian culture
, used as a form of communication to announce births, deaths and wars. A smaller form of the lali drum (lali ni meke) is used as a form in instrumentation. Meke
is a kind of spiritual folk dance, in which dancers bodies are said to be possessed by spirits. Other percussion instruments include the derua, which are tubes made of bamboo
which are stamped on mats or on the ground. Other dances included the women's dele, which humiliated enemy prisoners sexually, and the men's cibi
, which uses spear
s and club
s http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/pacific/fiji/culture.htm.
draws heavily from rural North Indian and some of the Southern states in India. Most popular are Bhajan
s - a devotional music based accompanied by harmonium
and dholak
(drums). Many Indians now also export bhajan CDs for large Fiji Indian diaspora in Canada
, US, Australia
and New Zealand
.
singer Ustad Sheikh Mohyudean (1920-) the Qawaali has undergone a major transformation in Fiji. Because of the lack of classically trained tabla
players who came to Fiji in the late 1900s, after their demise, some qawaali musicians started playing with dholak
players who only knew how to accompany the Bhajan
, and therefore incorporated a new style of music. When the trend caught on, some Bhajan
singers also tried their voices in qawaali, and brought Bihari elements into the music known as "Phagua gayaki" an ancient bhajan singing style in Bihar
, India
. The classical qawaali style slowly took a back seat to this new style of singing, but has been snubbed by purists because of its non connection to qawaali. The word Qawaali means "utterance in the name of Allah."
, India
who resided in Fiji. She was a disciple of her father Ustad Amjad Ali, a Thumri exponent. She later learned in India from greats such as Ustad Faiyaz Khan and Shamla Bhave of Bangalore
, India
. Her extraordinary vocal capabilities in her voice ranged close to 4 octaves and in her prime, quickly ruled the charts of Fiji's music industry. In her career she won 36 trophies and numerous recognitions and awards between 1947 and 1973. She was awarded the title "Malika-e-Ghazal
" or Queen of Ghazal
by the Indian High Consulate in 1973.
Internationally renowned star tabla
player and ghazal
wizard Cassius Khan
http://www.cassiuskhan.com born in Lautoka, Fiji has collaborated with some great world musicians and is the only known musician in the world who plays tabla and sings ghazals simultaneously. The senior disciple of the late Mushtari Begum, he is currently based in Vancouver
, is recognized as one of the treasures of Canada
as he has received the "Salute to Excellence" Award, and has many albums to his credit. Khan also made history as the first ever Indian Classical Ghazal/Tabla player who performed at the SXSW Festival in Austin Texas in 2008, and again at the Canada Music Week Festival in Toronto, Canada in 2009. One of his collaborations received a Juno Award
in 2007.
player Sashi Roy is one of the leading exponents of Dholak playing who was born in Nadi, Fiji. He has incorporated a new technique of playing the "dholak tarang" style- playing multiple dholaks tuned in different notes in unison and is one of the most recognized soloists in this art form. He is currently residing in Edmonton, Canada. Sibby prasad shivneel is also one of the top dholakia's who comes packed with a lot of taals everywhere he goes. he currently lives in sydney.
and Lagani Rabukawaqa
became pan-Pacific stars. Vulakoro is especially well-known for her part in creating vude, a popular style that combines disco
, country
and island music (especially the meke
rhythm
) and rock and roll
.
Other modern performers include the bands Nuku Katudrau, Karuna Gopalan, Black Rose
, Danny Costello
, Michelle Rounds, Seru Serevi The Freelancers. and Emosi Lomata who is well known across Fiji for his ongoing compositions and album releases over 30 years since the age of 11, recently performing in Australia in October 2008 with his band JES4P's.
Fiji is especially known for the field of Fijian reggae.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Though geographically Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
n, the music of Fiji is more Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n in character. Nevertheless, Fijian folk styles are distinct in their fusion of Polynesian and Melanesian traditions
Melanesian music
Our earliest knowledge of Melanesian music comes largely from German musicological studies done in the Caroline Islands of nearby Micronesia , with only a few studies done since then. Vocal music is very common across Melanesia, as are sitting dances...
. Folk music is dominated by vocal church music, as well as dances characterized by rich harmony and complex percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
made from slit drums or natural materials.
Folk music
Like their Polynesian baby neighbours, modern Fijians play guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
and mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
along with a variety of indigenous instruments, most commonly lali
Lali
A lali is a Fijian drum. It was an important part of traditional Fijian culture, used as a form of communication to announce births, deaths and wars. A smaller form of the lali drum is used in music.It is also an idiophone and a membranophone. Lali drums are now used to call the people of an area...
drums, which are now used to call the people of an area together. Lali drums were an important part of traditional Fijian culture
Culture of Fiji
Fiji's culture is a tapestry of indigenous Fijian, Indian, European, Chinese, and other nationalities. Culture polity, traditions, language, food, costume, belief system, architecture, arts, craft, music, dance and sports which will be discussed in this article to give you an indication of Fiji's...
, used as a form of communication to announce births, deaths and wars. A smaller form of the lali drum (lali ni meke) is used as a form in instrumentation. Meke
Meke
Meke is a broad term in the Fijian language, primarily referring to all traditional style of dance. It is a cognate of the words "maka" and "mele" . It is typically performed during celebrations and festivals...
is a kind of spiritual folk dance, in which dancers bodies are said to be possessed by spirits. Other percussion instruments include the derua, which are tubes made of bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
which are stamped on mats or on the ground. Other dances included the women's dele, which humiliated enemy prisoners sexually, and the men's cibi
Cibi
The Cibi is a Fijian meke of Bauan origin and is a war dance, generally performed before battle or after battle, it came to prominence when it was performed by the Fiji national rugby union team before each match.-Origins:...
, which uses spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
s and club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/pacific/fiji/culture.htm.
Indo-Fijian Music
Indian musicMusic of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
draws heavily from rural North Indian and some of the Southern states in India. Most popular are Bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s - a devotional music based accompanied by harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
and dholak
Dholak
The Dholak is a North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese double-headed hand-drum Madal. The name dholki may also refer to a slightly different instrument that uses high-pitch tabla style syahi masala on its treble skin. This instrument is also known as Naal or Dholki....
(drums). Many Indians now also export bhajan CDs for large Fiji Indian diaspora in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, US, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Qawaali
According to Qawaali/GhazalGhazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
singer Ustad Sheikh Mohyudean (1920-) the Qawaali has undergone a major transformation in Fiji. Because of the lack of classically trained tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
players who came to Fiji in the late 1900s, after their demise, some qawaali musicians started playing with dholak
Dholak
The Dholak is a North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese double-headed hand-drum Madal. The name dholki may also refer to a slightly different instrument that uses high-pitch tabla style syahi masala on its treble skin. This instrument is also known as Naal or Dholki....
players who only knew how to accompany the Bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
, and therefore incorporated a new style of music. When the trend caught on, some Bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
singers also tried their voices in qawaali, and brought Bihari elements into the music known as "Phagua gayaki" an ancient bhajan singing style in Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The classical qawaali style slowly took a back seat to this new style of singing, but has been snubbed by purists because of its non connection to qawaali. The word Qawaali means "utterance in the name of Allah."
Ghazal/Thumri
Mushtari Begum (1934–2004) was the first Indian Ghazal/Thumri exponent from LucknowLucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
who resided in Fiji. She was a disciple of her father Ustad Amjad Ali, a Thumri exponent. She later learned in India from greats such as Ustad Faiyaz Khan and Shamla Bhave of Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Her extraordinary vocal capabilities in her voice ranged close to 4 octaves and in her prime, quickly ruled the charts of Fiji's music industry. In her career she won 36 trophies and numerous recognitions and awards between 1947 and 1973. She was awarded the title "Malika-e-Ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
" or Queen of Ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
by the Indian High Consulate in 1973.
Internationally renowned star tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
player and ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
wizard Cassius Khan
Cassius Khan
Cassius Khan , is an Indian classical musician known for playing the tabla and Ghazal while singing.- Career :In Vancouver, Khan met Mushtari Begum, a Ghazal singer, Sheikh Mohyudean, a harmonium / Qawaali singer, and Ustad Rukhsar Ali, a tabla player. He subsequently began lessons with these...
http://www.cassiuskhan.com born in Lautoka, Fiji has collaborated with some great world musicians and is the only known musician in the world who plays tabla and sings ghazals simultaneously. The senior disciple of the late Mushtari Begum, he is currently based in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, is recognized as one of the treasures of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as he has received the "Salute to Excellence" Award, and has many albums to his credit. Khan also made history as the first ever Indian Classical Ghazal/Tabla player who performed at the SXSW Festival in Austin Texas in 2008, and again at the Canada Music Week Festival in Toronto, Canada in 2009. One of his collaborations received a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
in 2007.
Dholak
Notable DholakDholak
The Dholak is a North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese double-headed hand-drum Madal. The name dholki may also refer to a slightly different instrument that uses high-pitch tabla style syahi masala on its treble skin. This instrument is also known as Naal or Dholki....
player Sashi Roy is one of the leading exponents of Dholak playing who was born in Nadi, Fiji. He has incorporated a new technique of playing the "dholak tarang" style- playing multiple dholaks tuned in different notes in unison and is one of the most recognized soloists in this art form. He is currently residing in Edmonton, Canada. Sibby prasad shivneel is also one of the top dholakia's who comes packed with a lot of taals everywhere he goes. he currently lives in sydney.
Fijian Pop
In the 1980s, Fijian performers like Laisa VulakoroLaisa Vulakoro
Laisa Vulakoro is a Fijian female singer known as the Queen of Vude. She comes from the island of Yacata in Cakaudrove Province. Her music combines disco, rock and Fijian folk music. Vulakoro has performed since the 1980s and has released sixteen albums. During a period in Australia in the 1990s,...
and Lagani Rabukawaqa
Lagani Rabukawaqa
Lagani Rabukawaqa is a pop musician from Fiji who achieved fame in Oceania in the 1980s.-References:...
became pan-Pacific stars. Vulakoro is especially well-known for her part in creating vude, a popular style that combines disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and island music (especially the meke
Meke
Meke is a broad term in the Fijian language, primarily referring to all traditional style of dance. It is a cognate of the words "maka" and "mele" . It is typically performed during celebrations and festivals...
rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
) and rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
.
Other modern performers include the bands Nuku Katudrau, Karuna Gopalan, Black Rose
Black Rose (Fiji group)
Rosiloa is a Fijian music band, currently signed by the New-Caledonian music label "Mangrove Productions"....
, Danny Costello
Daniel Rae Costello
Daniel Rae Costello is a renowned Pacific musician. His mother, Jessie Rae was of a Samoan/Rotuman and Scottish descent whereas his father, Dan Costello. was Irish and both were born in Fiji. He was brought up in Tavua. His father owned a cattle ranch. He moved with his family to Lautoka since he...
, Michelle Rounds, Seru Serevi The Freelancers. and Emosi Lomata who is well known across Fiji for his ongoing compositions and album releases over 30 years since the age of 11, recently performing in Australia in October 2008 with his band JES4P's.
Fiji is especially known for the field of Fijian reggae.