HOLI is a time of colour, celebration and cohesion and for many girmitya descendants, a chance to indulge in the unique faagua chautaal.
This form of music indigenous to India is now a remnant of the culture brought to Fiji by indentured Hindu labourers eager to preserve their culture.
Now a staple for many Indian diasporas across former British colonies, this folk music has its roots in India’s Awadhi and Bhojpuri-speaking regions.
In fact, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi even paid homage to the distinctiveness of faagua chautaal in Fiji on his Mann Ki Baat radio show recently.
He played an audio recording of a song and informed his audience: “You would think this is from our country, but you will be surprised to know its connections are with Fiji; the beloved faagua chautaal which ignites music and joy in all people.”
And this beloved artform will thrive in Fiji’s diverse multiracial space, at least if youngsters like Kavish Chandra are still around.
The 21-year-old recently performed at the 2025 Holi Milan and performed faagua chautaal with his peers in the presence of a packed audience.
The Tuatua, Labasa, lad says he is still a novice at singing chautaals but he remains keen and eager to learn. This passion is driven by the support of his parents, peers and his teacher, all of whom have helped spark his love for music.
Music is in his blood, tracing back to his grandparents and then his father Prem Chandra, a prominent parchaarak who sings kirtan, bhajan and lokgeet in Labasa.
He recalls he was only two, speaking in baby babble, when he started taking an interest in music. He tried to sing along when his father performed and eventually, he learnt to sing and play instruments.
With maternal links to Bulileka and paternal links to Bua, Chandra is a third-year USP student pursuing a bachelor’s of software engineering as a Toppers student.
“When I was in primary school, I learnt the dholak and then my father taught me how to play the harmonium. He taught me one kirtan and how to play it, and for almost one year, I played the same kirtan,” he said.
“After that, I started practising on my own. Slowly, I started improving my skills and by high school, I could play the instruments well.
“Then, I met Amit Kumar, he is my guru (teacher) and he taught me a lot of good things.”
It was here that his world opened even more. He realised just how versatile music is, and how many different forms it could take.
So, while honing his skills in singing devotional and religious songs, he also started to experiment with modern music. Having mastered traditional instruments, his one wish was to learn how to play the guitar.
“In Form Six, my mum said if I scored good marks, she would give me anything I wanted. I told her I wanted a guitar.
“I was at home all of Form Seven. At that time, it was the COVID lockdown and I wasn’t able to learn how to play the guitar. It was sitting at home.
“Then later on, I came to Suva to pursue my studies here but going back home, I started learning and I am still learning. I am an average guitar player now, but my interests have definitely diversified.”
Chandra continues to dabble in different music forms as the cultural president of the USP’s Indian Student Association, when he gets like minded peers to coalesce and form their own musical group.
This group has played at several holi celebrations this year, thanks to support from the Sanatan Dharam youth group. Now, there are plans to have a music fest in time for Diwali.
“This is my learning stage, and I am trying to explore as many styles as possible.
“I think singing has helped me a lot as a person, too, because it has helped me overcome my stage fright and it has made me extroverted, when I am in a crowd. I don’t mind public speaking.
“My dad is my biggest supporter. There’s a cute thing he does. Whenever I upload a new video, he will go home and watch it and listen (to the music).”
His mother, however, motivates him to focus on his studies and maintain a healthy balance.
“I haven’t thought a lot about it (his future in music).
“I am happy with the path I am on. This path has also helped me make a lot of contacts and helped me network. Hopefully, I get to do some shows abroad, but we’ll see!”
For now, his focus is on assignments and seeing where the melody of music takes him.
Kavish Chandra at an earlier performance. Picture: SUPPLIED
