William Hatch may be one of the more naturally gifted musical performers to have emerged from Fiji in recent decades.
With his effortless guitar strumming coupled with energetic and melodious vocals, Hatch was one of the standouts performers at the Corona Uprising Festival of Music, Dance & Lights held in Pacific Harbour last week.
Hatch, a product of Suva Grammar School in the 1980s, first earned his stripes with Suva band Jericho playing the club circuit in the capital and also had dalliances with the cream of the crop of Fiji musicians like Tui Ravai, Tom Mawi, Paul Stevens, Vili Tuilaucala and vocalist Michelle Rounds.
Michelle Rounds and Her Amazing Friends, an album available on Amazon.com featured 13 tracks that the vocalist collaborated with these household names of Fiji music.
It was during this period that Hatch garnered a respectable reputation as a naturally gifted vocalist, holding his own despite the wealth of talented singers in Fiji at the time.
He would then move to greener pastures in the Land Down Under.
Yet music was always in the pipeline for Hatch.
In fact the Vanuabalavu, Lau native has been immersed in singing and music since the age of eight, participating in countless projects involving song and cultural dance.
Now spreading his musical vibes in Darwin, where he has lived for the past 17 years, Hatch plays in bars and other venues and even teaches music to inmates at Berrimah Prison.
It is a hectic schedule for the 43-year-old who nonetheless laps it up like the true musician he is.
“I play six days a week and basically manage to fit in seven gigs within six days.
“It isn’t easy but its work,” said the solo artist.
In recent years Hatch has collaborated with Sing Sing, of the larger Wontok brand, a massive group unit comprising people of South Pacific island descent who perform using log drum orchestras, uplifting choral singing and solo voices.
Sing Sing has electrified audiences in Australia, New Zealand and around the Oceania region.
“Performing with Sing Sing has been awesome. I travelled with the group to the Olympics in 2012 where we performed on the Oceania stage which was a fantastic experience,” said Hatch.
The group has also toured India and all of this has been quite fulfilling for the father of three.
Being involved with Sing Sing has been a blessing for Hatch who has been very driven from a young age, inspired of course by one of the greatest artists the world has ever seen — Bob Marley.
An elder brother, Malcolm, who was a seaman, introduced the youngster to Marley in the early 1980s and he was instantly hooked on the “one drop vibes” and easy-going lyrics of the late King of Reggae.
“What got me into music was listening to Bob Marley,” explained Hatch, while on a break in between sets at the Pacific Harbour gig.
“I enjoyed the harmony, everything I liked about music was found in his songs. The simplicity of the harmonies and the sweet melodies was what drew me to Marley. His songs were also easy to play,” he reflects.
These days Hatch has been inspired by artists like Michael Franks and Rodriquez, although being a keen listener, he is always on the prowl for new exciting sounds to add to his repertoire.
But he still belts out a Marley number occasionally like at the music fiesta at Uprising Resort last weekend where he meandered easily into an acoustic version of Is This Love.
It was a good chance as any to reignite old connections with musicians like Melbourne-based former 4 Jams member Joseph Amputch and bassist Kirt Peterson.
Hatch says that he will be teaming up in the coming months to work on his album, drawing from artists like local group Rosi Loa, vocal duo Vika and Linda Bull, who are of Tongan heritage and Tha Feelstyle, which is the stage name of award-winning hip-hop artist Kas Futialo, a New Zealander of Samoan descent.
Similarly, he will work alongside Torres Strait islander George Dow, one of Australia’s most explosive and versatile indigenous performers.
“I’m actually really looking forward to teaming up with these artists in the future and producing world music,” said Hatch.
Only days into his Fiji trip, the vocalist, had to fly back to hard grind of playing eight gigs a week in Darwin.
While this regime isn’t a walk in the park, Hatch’s commitment and spirit for music is eventually what carries him through to the next week.
That’s passion for you.
