Fiji lost one of her most seasoned musicians last Friday with the death of drummer and band leader Aneil Kumar.
He died at the age of 68 after a short illness and was laid to rest at the Lovonilase cemetery yesterday.
While his formative years may not have been as illustrious as some, his music career was nothing short of remarkable.
From when he was recruited into Red Fink in the ’70s to joining Suva powerhouse group Ulysses where he met his wife Eni Seawale to forming DeJaVu a decade ago – Aneil was at the forefront of Fiji’s music scene.
To learn more about what made Aneil tick, we have to wind back the hands of time.
Born in Nasea, Labasa, on May 31, 1955, to parents Shiu Prasad Halka and Saroj Wati, his family moved to Suva in the late 1950s when he was four years old and they lived in a block of flats at Disraeli Rd with other relatives.
The block was known as the Halka Flats. He attended Suva Methodist Primary School and Nehru Memorial Primary School in Toorak and later went to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School.
Speaking to The Fiji Times after the funeral, Aneil’s former band mate and younger brother Vimal Prasad – a former Air Pacific pilot and acclaimed guitarist and vocalist – said their musical journey started when they were in primary school and would visit their uncle in Samabula.
“Our mama (mother’s brother) used to play guitar and we would go to his place in Samabula when we were in primary school and watch him play,” he said.
Vimal said they learnt by closely watching their uncle, but they did not have a guitar to practise on.
They were gifted one by a Tongan man named Tupou, who worked at a foundry.
He built the boys a guitar, and they were in business. Originally, Vimal was learning the drums and Aneil was on the guitar, but they decided to swap instruments and found their first footings in music.
“The original drum set was made from paint tins with cardboard over the tops, and his cymbals were old wheel caps from a car.”
For added effect, Aneil had his dad drill holes into the wheel cap and inserted screws to enhance the sound. From this humble beginning, they developed their prowess, honing their skills and eventually formed bands of their own as they entered secondary school.
“He had a band with Ian Card and Michael Whiteside, and I was in a band called Red Fink.” Red Fink was quite popular in the early 70s but the brother’s bands sort of fizzled out.
“So we banded together with Khalid Dean (keyboardist) and Joseph Singh (bassist) and we would play at a place called Trio at Raojibhai Patel St.”
Vimal said this was where they got their start and started to get recognised as musicians.
“We competed against one of Suva’s top groups, Ulysses, in the battle of the bands and finished behind them in second place.”
Red Fink considered this a huge accomplishment as Ulysses was an eight piece outfit, while their trio beat other bands which were far larger than theirs. After the competition, Vimal said they were invited to join Ulysses, which they did and performed at many hallmark events.
In 1977, Vimal left the group to pursue a pilot’s licence in England and at the same time a young lass who was making her name as a performer in the Fiji entertainment business joined Ulysses as a vocalist.
Her name was Eni Seawale but that would soon change.
In his eulogy, Aneil’s longtime friend, guitarist extraordinaire Mike Reymond, said Eni and Aneil’s meeting was the start of a strong and powerful love affair.
“Today we have their beautiful children to see as a result of that,” he said.
Mike said he met Aneil at his family home at Disraeli Rd, where his grandfather had a boat parked on the dry.
“I met Aneil here, at this very place where we are all gathered today in their family home. This is where my life and journey with him and his family all started.”
Their bands practised in the basement of the block of flats and they were always surrounded by their family.
“It was one whole family staying here, but the music was always there.
“That’s what attracted me to this place, and to Aneil.”
Mike said it was the influence of Aneil which got him into music and soon enough he too joined the ranks of Ulysses.
“It was during the Lucky Eddies days when I got into music and started playing, actually playing with Aneil as a guitarist, and he was on drums.
“A seasoned drummer he was, probably one of the best in the Pacific, on the same level as Paul Steven.
“Aneil actually got me started into music. His influence made me what I am today as a musician, of which I am really so grateful.”
To Mike, Aneil was a prolific musician and a fantastic drummer, but he was also a brother.
“We didn’t just share music, we shared friendship. “They invited me into their family. I am sharing this word today as family because they accepted me as family too. “He was my family.”
Mike said Aneil made a huge impact in the music industry, something he put down to Aneil’s lifelong endeavour to getting things right.
“Everything he did, he did it almost perfectly, and this was his approach to life. To everything that he started and that he touched, to his family, to his children, to his in-laws, and to friends.
“He was very hard working. He was dedicated and loyal.”
Fiji has lost probably its most qualified sound engineer with the passing of Aneil.
He went to Berkley University in California to study sound engineering and was known for being meticulous on the sound board, which usually sat right beside the drum set as a sort of quality control during live performances.
In the early 2000s Aneil was approached to write the syllabus for the Fiji Institute of Technology’s (now Fiji National University) sound engineering program – a testament to his own musical ability and the respect his name garnered over the years.
He is survived by his by wife Eni, their children Oneil, Enid and Alina, sonsinlaw Stanley and Alex, and granddaughters Abigail and Myra.
