Tributes continue for the king of island reggae, George “Fiji” Veikoso, with one Kiwi reggae artist describing him as the voice that set the bar for Polynesian reggae.
Known widely as Fiji, news of the 55-year-old’s death yesterday has united fans and those within the music industry in grief.
Fijian media reported that the artist, who struggled with health conditions for years, died peacefully in Suva, Fiji, surrounded by his family.
Fellow musician and friend, Charlie Pome’e, paid tribute to a person who was dedicated to his craft and a man who was proud to hail from the Pacific.
Pome’e is the lead singer for South Auckland reggae band Three Houses Down.
He shared memories with the Herald about growing up with his brothers listening to international reggae icons Bob Marley and UB40 - before a new voice entered their home when Fiji released his Born & Raised album in 1996.
“In my mind, I just thought that no one does reggae unless you’re from Jamaica. But when I saw that album cover... I was thinking: ‘No way. This guy’s from Fiji’.
“Listening to the songs - instantly, it was like: ‘Holy heck. Our Polynesian people can do this’. He gave us hope from a young age - this is doable.”
Pome’e talked of the uniquely Pacific sound Fiji brought to the world of reggae in the 1990s.
“It was something fresh. Being a Polynesian, he knew of the sound as Polynesians - the Pacific sound,” he said.
“As soon as that drum roll starts, you gravitate towards it because that’s our sound. I just couldn’t believe there was a Pacific Islander doing reggae.”
As the frontman of his own band, Pome’e said he studied Fiji’s stage presence and how he interacted with the crowd.
One memorable moment was at the One Love Festival in Tauranga, in 2017, when Fiji took to the stage and spontaneously called on the crowd to join him in singing Māori waiata: E Papa Waiari.
Video footage showed the masses singing: “E papa waiari, taku nei mahi, taku nei mahi, he tuku roimata.
“E aue, e aue. Ka mate au. E hine, hoki mai ra.”
The spontaneous show of harmony brought people in the crowd to tears.
Pome’e said it was that special quality that Fiji had - and which many others could not duplicate.
“One thing I learned from him... he was unpredictable. He had this special power where he read the crowd.
“It’s not just about playing the songs. It’s reading the crowd, being with the crowd, playing what the crowd wants and interacting.
“You can stop the band whenever you want or point someone out who’s not dancing.”
As well as writing and composing his own songs, Fiji also covered songs in Pacific languages - turning them into his own.
Among those is his hugely popular rendition of the Samoan ballad Sosefina, written by Fafo Aulalo, of one of Samoa’s most loved old school bands: Tiama’a.
“He was the voice of the Pacific - literally. He would take time to learn Tongan and Samoan songs,” Pome’e said.
Speaking on the way Fiji operated in the recording studio, Pome’e said it was Fiji that showed him the need to truly connect with the words behind a song.
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“Even to a point where do you ever wonder what the composer was going through at this time?
“He would really take you into that space. He wanted you to sing it and imagine what the composer was going through - how crushed his heart was when this happened.
“So when he educated you in the studio and you come back and listen to all his music, it hits different.”
Pome’e, who is also a presenter for radio station Flava, shared a heartfelt on-air tribute to the legend he got to create and perform music with, and know as a mentor and family friend.
“Fij, thank you for the songs that got me through the hard days and made the good ones even better,” he said, his voice breaking.
“I’m so grateful for the way your music made me feel. You gave me more than music. You gave us hope, truth and something real to hold on to.
“Thank you for leading the way and lighting the way for all Poly artists like me. Your gift to the world became a gift to my life - and I’ll never forget that.”
Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for the Herald’s Talanoa section, sharing stories from the Pacific community. She won junior reporter of the year at the then Qantas Media Awards in 2010 and won the best opinion writing award at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.