“MY first influence and inspiration goes back to when I was growing up in my village in Nakorovou in Rewa where my dad was part of a singing and performers’ group called ‘Via ni Tebara’.”
This was local Vude King, Seru Serevi’s, opening line when the The Fiji Times Backtracks team asked him what his inspiration was when he first decided to take up music.
“And in those days I remember Via ni Tebara’s leader was none other than Ratu Isireli Racule, a renowned local composer at that time,” he said.
Serevi said he remembered sitting in and listening to the group, as a five to six-year-old, singing all the old Fijian songs; which also included Hawaiian songs like ‘Lovely Hula Hands, King Kamekameha’, and Samoan songs like ‘Tofa mai Feleni’.
“And I grew up singing those songs and I think it had an influence on my musical career,” he said.
Serevi, who was dubbed ‘Vude King’ by FBC radio announcer Sitiveni Raturala in 1981 after the release of his first album ‘Soqo Ni Vude’, said this was what inspired him to take up music seriously.
“It influenced me to the path of music and made me what I am today; it was my father and his group the Via ni Tebara.”
He said he grew up seeing guitars lying around and it inspired to learn how to play the instrument
Serevi said he would accompany the group when they went to Mosquito Island in the Suva Bay to perform for tourists whenever a tourist cruise ship was in the city.
“So we were actually singing and performing for tourists when I was 9-10 years old growing up.
“I left the village and came to Suva and attended AOG Primary School and then DAV Boys College and while still in Form Five; I was playing guitar then; a guy called Cecil Dass, who was a member a top band at that time known as Kuin Tikis, heard me playing the guitar at Deuba beach during a school break.
“He said to me, ‘hey do you wanna join our band and just come and sit with us’. So I joined the band which was then practising at Vugalei in Lami.”
Serevi said he went and sat down and the now famous local singer/composer and performer Saimoni Vuatalevu was there.
“I was so excited to be among these great musicians,” he said.
“The band also included a guy called Sanga Cheer, who is now in Sydney, James Dass the guitarist and Cecil Dass and Eddie Krishna, who now lives in Alaska.
“The first day I just sat quietly and the next day I came in again during their practice session after work and Cecil said to me ‘Do you want to try; take the guitar and play.’
“I was kind of apprehensive thinking maybe I wasn’t good enough, but when I started playing they said ‘hey where did you learn how to play so well’.
“I just told them that I was self-taught; after what inspired me as a young boy in the village I just kept trying to teach myself to play the guitar.”
Serevi said that was when as a Form Five student he started playing in the band at the Old Town Hall (now the Vineyard Restaurant).
Serevi said he used to go to school with a white sulu (school uniform), but packed his black long pants for the night performance.
He said he performed with renowned local vocalist Jimmy Nathu, who was at MGM Secondary School, and Quin Tikis were the popular band then playing at the Old Town Hall where they used to play from Mondays to Saturdays.
“So that’s how I started; I was paid very little then, but it didn’t matter because of my love and passion for music.
“When I tell my band members now that I was paid 50 cents a night back then, they laughed and said I was lying. They just couldn’t believe it.
“This is probably why I didn’t do so well academically, playing six nights a week then going to school during the day, dozing off in class.
“That’s how I started my music and after I completed Form Five in 1971 I worked for the civil service for four years, but then eventually the music got the better of me and I got fired from the service.
“So in 1975 I went full time into music and started with a band called Sangfroid Ride with me on bass guitar, Tui Ravai on keyboard, Sia Varea was on guitar, Jimmy Nathu was on vocals and William Amputch on drums.”
Serevi was with Sanfroid Ride from 1975 to 1979 then in 1981 he moved down to the Coral Coast at Korolevu Hotel and 16 years later he was still at the coast.
“We actually opened the Hyatt Regency, which is now the Warwick Resort and I was also contracted at Naviti, Shangri-La’s the Fijian, at the Mocambo now Novotel Nadi and also did a stint at the Regent, which is now the Sheraton Resort on Denarau,” he said.
Serevi said over the years he got back to Suva and formed a band with local music legend Sakiusa Bulicokocoko (on drums), renowned guitarist Nesbitt Hazelman, on keyboard was Henry Cork and his wife, Laisa Cork, was the vocalist.
The band was called The Erections.
“It was a funny name, but this was about 1985 to 1987 then Sakiusa left for Hawaii and I went back to the Coral Coast.
“I’ve played in all the major hotels and resorts in Fiji and all the clubs in Suva, Lautoka, Planters Inn in Nadi and I did my first recording in 1981 through an album called ‘Soqo Ni Vude’ at the Lali Recording with famous guitarist Wise Vatuwaqa.”
Serevi said he never used to sing, but only played accompanying singers and some iTaukei members of the band used to joke about iTaukei songs because they were playing with electric instruments saying they were ‘jing jick’ songs mimicking the rhythm of acoustic guitars.
“But we thought to ourselves, we should stop criticising and get in there and try and help our iTaukei songwriters since we are already in music.
“And this was my further inspiration to start composing iTaukei songs. In fact I forced myself to seriously start composing iTaukei songs and so far I’ve recorded nine albums — Soqo Ni Vude, Suva, Tuba, Oca Ga, Ai Valu Toso, Tekiteki Damudamu, Vude Mai, Diva Tu and Brown Sugar.
“I have a passion for music and it inspires me, but the sad thing about the music industry in Fiji is that there’s so many talents out there, but very little has been done by the authorities and stakeholders to help aspiring talents,” he says.
Serevi said there was no definite pathway for youths who wished to make a career in music.
Reproduced below is the full verse of Seru’s hit song ‘Oca Ga’, which he said was among the favourites with Fijians in his album.
Title – OCA GA.
1 Veiyabaki sivi mai
Au temaki ka rawai
Wili e daku ni bai
Tavoraki mei suwai
2 Ciri me vaka na o
Biligi voli me toso
Yayamo ni bogi buto
Kida niu mai tao
Chorus
Oca Ga, Oca Ga
Bula au mai tu kina
Oca Ga, Oca Ga
Evei meu ravi kina
3 Bogi siga niu saga
Vuvale me bula
Noqu bula sa tara
Noqu saga me rawa
4 Gauna niu vutuniyau
Tamata ra kilai au
Ia niu liga lala mai
Wekaqu a wara…warai
