HIS passion for fighting crime led Qica Vosamana to joining the Fiji Police Force, became a policeman and led young boys in his village in Macuata province to form a musical group — which is now creating airwaves in Fiji.
The Vesidrua Village lad, together with his cousins and brothers, formed the Savu Rogoyawa kei Tamonibuca group.
The support of village elders, he said, helped them achieve great things since the group was formed in 2004.
So far they have released three albums with one to be released soon.
The recent recording and soon to be released fourth album is titled ‘Noqu Digidigi’ (My Choice) and talks about a couple who were in love, lived together, but unforeseen circumstances tore them apart.
“This song Noqu Digidigi is the main song in our fourth album and we composed this song for a close relative who was involved with a beautiful woman,” he said.
“But things happened while they were living together as the woman found out the truth about our brother so she left him. “This song has been made for both of them and it also teaches us important lessons about life and how we should appreciate life.”
Since forming the group, osamana left the Fiji Police Force and decided to work with the young boys in the village because of the their talents in singing and music.
“This is another way of occupying our young men in the village, most of whom are my brothers and cousins and I don’t want them to be occupied with the unnecessary things of this world,” he said.
“I want these young men to make use of their God-given talents and occupy themselves with other opportunities to help themselves. This is another way of staying away from criminal activities and we have done well as we have released four albums altogether.”
The group’s first album was Mosi Dina, the second album was Benabena and Ciri Yauyau was the third.
Some well-known songs the group composed were Au mai duri taudua tu and Ciri Yauyau. Vosamana said the village elders have also supported the group over the past years.
“When we have functions in the village including government events, we usually entertain guests and sing some of our songs,” he said.
“It’s promotion for us and we have also provided entertainment in hotels and resorts in the West and earned good money.
“Some members of our group are working in Mana Island and the rest of us are continuing with the group.” Like many other musicians in Fiji, piracy continues to be a major challenge for the Seaqaqa-based group.
“Recording expenses is quite costly and especially if there is not enough financial support,” Mr Vosamana said.
“For all our albums recorded and released for sale, my group only gets $2 out of the $20 for every CD sold while the recording company gets $18. “So we are planning to buy our own CDs and do our recording for the next album because we won’t lose out a lot of money.”
In the hope of doing this, the group members have already started working in resorts and part of their income would be given to the group so they could buy their CDs.
Mr Vosamana said the name of their group was given by their grandfather.
“Savu Rogoyawa ni Tamonibuca is named after a waterfall and a pool that sits in our village that in the past has given us ‘death signs’,” he said. “We will hear a loud bang or splash in the pool, it indicates that a member of the chiefly family from Naduri will soon pass away. “This chiefly member will be a man and not a woman and they too will hear the same splash we hear.”
