I visited Vunaniu Village in Serua a few weeks ago on an assignment that involved the donation of water tanks to the villagers.
While there, I had this nagging feeling that I knew something about Vunaniu although I couldn’t quite place it.
It was like an itch I couldn’t seem to scratch because the more I tried to remember, the more I kept coming up with disconnected conclusions.
And then it hit me. O Salote a Marama ni Vunaniu. It is a popular iTaukei song.
It immediately started playing in my head, and I knew I had to inquire about it and its origins.
The first obvious question – who is Salote?
As I asked around, I found out that Salote was, in fact, a real person, not just a fictional character in a song.
One of the village boys showed me where Salote’s house was, and, frankly, I was a bit surprised because I thought Salote was not real.
I spoke with the village elders and asked if they could tell me a little bit about Salote.
According to an elder, Salote had caught the eye of a police officer from another village during a social gathering.
“Salote was a tall, slender, beautiful woman who had the prettiest bui ni ga (Afro hairstyle) out of all the women here in the village at that time,” the elder said. “And she knew it. She knew she was beautiful.
“So, when we would have visitors here in the village, especially men, Salote would sit there with the other women and serve them.”
According to the elder, one of the policeman noticed Salote seated next to the tanoa.
“It was like love at first sight for this man. Because of her, he was willing to sit through the entire night into the morning till he became too drunk to stand up,” he said.
As I became interested in where the man’s story was headed, a woman beside me who overheard our conversation kindly interrupted us and insisted on continuing for him.
“The version I grew up with is a bit similar to his,” the woman said with a smile.
“When I was little, my uncles and aunts would talk about Salote and how she was the reason a police officer forgot his umbrella during that grog session.”
At this point I’m thinking, ‘OK, there’s another version to this story’. Did the people of Vunaniu Village grow up hearing different versions? There was only one way to find out’.
“So, of course, she was a beautiful young woman, she stole the hearts of many young men here in the village, especially the ones from other villages who would come here for a soqo (gathering),” she continued.
“I was told that the police officer had brought with him an umbrella on the day he first saw Salote.
“The grog here in Vunaniu Village is strong, it will make you crawl back to your house at the end of the evening. That happened with the police officer.
“He became so infatuated with Salote that he stayed up drinking yaqona through the night, eventually becoming so drunk he crawled back to his house, forgetting his umbrella.”
Our conversation turned into laughter as we made jokes about how a woman could simply make a man do silly things.
Salote ….a Marama ni Vunaniu has been a popular household tune for many years.
It has remained popular over the years, especially among those who grew up listening to the Police Jazz Band in the ’90s. It’s still sung today at yaqona sessions and village gatherings, keeping Salote’s memory alive in Vunaniu.
I then realised in the end the song’s enduring popularity is tied to the many versions of the story people grew up with, and I couldn’t help but smile at the idea that a simple song could hold so much history and meaning for the villagers.
What version of the song did you grow up with?
Lyrics of the song
O Salote a marama ni Vunaniu..Vunaniu
A guileca nai viu (X2)
O Salote a marama ni Vunaniu… lei
Nai vana ni waqa mai Taviya…Taviya
O Alumita o na buiniga (X2)
Nai vana ni waqa mai Taviya…oilei
A qarila ni Viti na laione…laione
Oso tu o Solomone (X2)
A qarila ni Viti na laione….lei
‘odra vakasigalevu a weleti…a weleti
A qarila era reki (X2)
‘odra vakasigalevu a weleti…lei
Siro donui Naiborebore…borebore
Siro mai o Salote
E semai ‘omu sote
Siro donui Naiborebore….lei
Vuniba’a levu mai lomai ya….lomai ya
Dro me dromui na voqa (X2)
Vuniba’a levu mai lomai ya…lei
E lagariki ona senibua sa ‘ua…sa ‘ua
Mo drau ‘ila o na lewe rua (X2)
E lagariki ona senibua sa ‘ua….lei
