THE song has a haunting lilt to it.
The voices behind it are no longer here today, but their song lives on. We came across an old recording of a Fijian song composed by a sigidrigi or folk group from Gau — Miramira ni Katudrau — from more than 50 years ago.
The song is kept at the National Archives of Fiji. Senior conservator Taito Raione said it was composed in 1965 and talked about how The Fiji Times newspaper was founded, including the establishment of the iTaukei language newspaper Nai Lalakai in 1962.
“From what I gathered, it was composed by a gentleman called Isimeli Loga,” said Mr Raione.
“The group were from Vadravadra, Gau.
“They were mostly the uncles of the famous local singer Peni Seniasi and they were a well-known folk group back then.”
The choice of lyrics are poetic in the iTaukei sense. We tried our very best to accurately capture its meaning below:
Na Viti Taimi (The Fiji Times)
By Miramira ni Katodrau (1965)
1. 1-8-69 Au nanuma lesu koi au (The year was 1869)
Na Viti Taimi e duri kina mai Ovalau (The Fiji Times was established on Ovalau)
Se ravuravu voli kina na itutuvi kuta nei Radi ni Bau (t’was still when Cakobau wielded the club)
Ni vo e lima na yabaki me qai taura o Ranadi Sau (Five years before Fiji’s cessation)
2. O Misi Qirivini ni se tiko voli e Viti (George Griffiths was in Fiji )
Tauyavutaka mai Levuka na nona bisinisi (He started his business in Levuka)
Me taba ivola me kacivaka o domo Viti (A newspaper to be the voice of Fiji)
E na tiki ni volavola nei Misi Kini. (located beside Mr. Kean’s office)
3. Sa torocake tiko na nona bula me kaukauwa (The company grew in strength)
Me tauyavutaka tale na Positovesi e Levuka (It begins a post office in Levuka)
E volitaka na sitaba se na ivola e na veivanua (Sold stamps and letters to all parts of Fiji)
Ni vakarewa na kuila me qai sogota na matanituya (Up until cession when it was wound down by government)
4. Suva Taimi e dua na veva au nanuma (The Suva Times is another paper, I remember)
E dau tu voli e Viti ni se qai tekivu o Suva (Was established when Suva was made capital)
Wesitani Pasivika e dau tabaki tu mai Levuka (The Western Pacific was established in Levuka)
Sa na qai cokovata me Viti Taimi vakadua (It was merged to form The Fiji Times)
5. Sa votu e dai e Viti na yabaki me kilai (The years have since passed)
Me dua na senituri na nona kunekune voli mai (A century since its establishment)
Sa na qai vakasucu na marama e se yalowai (Before another newspaper emerged)
O Adi Na I Lalakai e dau takitaki voli mai (Its name was Lady Nai Lalakai)
6. Na I Lalakai me’u tukuna mada me macala (Let me describe what the Lalakai is)
Ni rairai levu sara na lewe I Viti era lecava (Since many in Fiji do not know)
Oqori na nodra veleti ra dau talitaliya na tukada (It is a traditional serving platter used by forefathers)
Me veleti ni magiti ni nodra takitaki na marama (in which women would bear food on)
7. Sa tini sa vinaka Ratu Ravuama Vunivalu (In the end thank you Ratu Ravuama Vunivalu *First editor of Nai Lalakai)
Na nomu digitaki au me bau nanumi tale a yacaqu (For making my name known)
Me’u takitaki tiko ina vei yatu yanuyanu (That I may be a source of delicacy/information to every island of Fiji)
O au a bui Viti, a noqu bula sa rui balavu ( I am an old lady of Fiji, I have lived so long)
