TEVITA Vakalalabure is a well-known name who has established himself in not only the musical world but in the boxing ring as well.
Having won six titles in local boxing championships, the Natewa native considers himself blessed by God, thus his involvement in the musical and sporting arenas.
Recalling those days of singing iTaukei songs and strumming his fingers on dried coconut leaves, Vakalalabure is certain that those were not just days of childhood pleasures.
“Those were days of preparing myself to become a boxer, a singer and one to be used by God for God’s Healthy Living program,” he said.
“God has blessed me with so many talents and things that have happened in my life makes me realise how imperative it is to use our talents.
“I loved singing from a very young age of three years and even younger than that because I could just hum.”
Born and bred in the village of Natewa, Cakaudrove, Vakalalabure is the second child of five siblings.
The love for music, he said, did not start with him.
“It was always in the family especially from my mum’s side because she hails from Koroivonu Village where a lot of good singers come from,” he said.
“Her brother Reverend Sabako Drauna composed a few hymns that were sung in churches now like, Noqu matavuvale, solia mai na Kalou.”
“He also composed other hymns known as Veitawasei and Voleka Mai which are being sung today in a lot of churches.
“So composing songs and singing it with a beautiful voice is a gift from God for my family.”
Vakalalabure attended Natewa Primary School and he remembers sitting in farms, among tall cassava plants with his empty tins of biscuits which were used as drums.
“I used to have lots of fun in the village. After school or in the weekends, we would collect empty biscuit tins and dried coconut leaves to use as our musical instruments,” he recalls.
“We’d break branches of cassava and beat the tins with it while some of us strum the dried coconut leaves and then we’d sing a song or two.
“It’s those times of having fun with friends that actually helps us practise our voices to sing well and gave us an idea of how to use musical instruments. It all paid off for me.”
After completing his secondary school education at Queen Victoria School, he heard about the National Star Quest in 1992.
“That was my first public exposure in which I sang Judy Boucher’s song, Please understand my situation,” he said.
“After that, I just fell in love with singing and sang more songs in villages, in church and during family functions.
“At that time, I didn’t have any plans to compose an album and so I switched to boxing.
“But at the same time, I maintained my connection with the music world and worked with my cousins or helped them out in whatever way I could. They were good singers too.”
His cousins, another well-known local band — The Rescue Brothers — hail from his koro ni vasu, (mum’s village) of Koroivonu.
His maternal grandfather and granduncles formed the first band in the North that used electrical instruments.
They were known as the “Knockouts” and was popular for their iTaukei tunes that attracted many hoteliers around the country.
“I was still a little boy then and my grandfather used to travel a lot with his brothers to the Coral Coast, Taveuni, Savusavu, Nadi and Suva to sing in hotels,” he said.
“I used to hear their beautiful voices every time they practised at Koroivonu Village and my mum would take me over for the holidays.
“I know that also influenced me and I have enjoyed singing all my life.”
Vakalalabure has only released an album — Natewa Prince, Mosimositi Au — which included the popular melody of To’alau mai Waini’eli.
This was composed by Saqani chief and song composer Sairusi Daugunu, who wrote the story about a group of men from Koroivonu who had travelled to Rabi to sell yaqona and dalo.
On their way back to Koroivonu Village, their boat capsized and they swam across to Saqani Village where they were assisted by villagers.
These men from Koroivonu are Vakalalabure’s uncles and one of them is the Tui Tunuloa today, Ratu Karalo Maibuca.
Vakalalabure is now working on his second album which was prepared during his four-year stay in Vanuatu.
“I just returned from there two years ago and I wrote 30 songs while voluntarily working that side for the God’s Healthy Living Program,” he said.
“My second album is called Natewa Prince, Atelag, which talks about the moon in Vanuatu and its beauty when it shines at night.
“The word atelag means moon and I plan to release my second album before the end of this year,” said Vakalalabure.
