A call has gone out to all Fijian artists of Indian descent to bring in and register their work quickly if they want to be considered for Fiji’s music biggest night out.
The Fiji Performing Rights Association Music Awards set for May 16 at the Grand Pacific Hotel will feature the crème de la crème of Fiji’s music scene.
FPRA 2015 awards co-ordinator Seru Serevi has implored FPRA members, all 655 of them at that and irrespective of the type of muisci they play or what cultural background they come from, to put in their nominations for the event which close on March 15.
The association recently announced that it is likely to include a gospel category to the list of gongs that will be up for grabs at the annual awards night in Suva.
This is all part of FPRA’s push to make the event a more comprehensive and all inclusive one.
In a similar vein, Serevi said the organisation was also pondering the inclusion of a religious Hindi song category that would encompass works like kirtan, mukabla and bhajans.
“For all those who want to enter, you have got six weeks to decide,” said Serevi.
“All nominations will be based on works released last year from January 1 to December 31 so we are calling on all our members to put in their nominations.”
Judges at the event will include Terence O’Neill Joyce, who took part in the New Zealand Vodafone Music Awards.
The judging panel chaired by O’Neil also has Master Laisiasa Veikoso of the Fiji Arts Council, Award winning composer Igalese Ete and even radio personality Malakai Veisamasama of Communications Fiji Ltd.
“We want to make sure we cover every genre and every aspect of Fiji music that we can,” assured Serevi.
There has been some misconception
The premier award to be handed out for the night, Best Composition, is not restricted to any particularly genre and will go to only and truly the best composition of the year.
PM Commodore (Ret) Voreqe Bainimarama is likely to be the chief guest at this year’s event.
The association is determined to make the event a more holistic and inclusive one with organisers hoping that musicians, irrespective of their particular genre or cultural diversity, to bring in their work for consideration.
“We are calling on all our Indo-Fijian composers to join us we want to make sure that this event is holistic and everyone is included as we go forward,” said Serevi.
“We have no doubt this year’s going to be bigger and better and as we go on we expect this event to be one of the best as far as Fijis entertainment calendar is concerned.”
FPRA is confident of enough support from the corporate sector for the event.
“Like last year we expect to get only the best of the best to perform,” said Serevi.
Their identity still under wraps, FPRA is bringing over an overseas based band with links to Fiji to play at the GPH on the night.
Serevi added that the nominations are now open and he has urged composers and singers to fill in their nomination forms before the entry closes on the 16th of March.
FPRA is also giving credit to the musicians and composers, many of those have since passed on, who have contributed immensely to Fiji’s music industry over the decades and even further back.
“We are even thinking of inducting the early Christian missionaries, who were critical in translating English hymns into the iTaukei language over 150 years ago,” shared Serevi.
Theser artists will be considered under the Hall of Fame category, of which 10 individuals were inducted last year and a further 10 likely to be included this year.
“We owe a lot to these musicians and composers and those who have passed on. We will always remember them.”
However, Serevi said the selection process for the Hall of Fame entry would be tight and that “not any Tom, Dick and Harry” would be able to get in.
FPRA decided to move the event closer to avoid timing complications because other major events like Fiji Fashion Week, the annual Fiji Secondary Schools Deans Trophy, Hibiscus Festival and Rugby World Cup were all scheduled to take place when the awards would be normally be held.
Serevi says the awards will be an exciting event for music in Fiji and was created to boost creativity and originality in music while publicly acknowledging and rewarding outstanding works of music while at the same time heightening copyright awareness.
This year the awards will have thirteen categories which include Best Composition, Best Gospel Artist (new category to be introduced), Best ITaukei, Hindi and English songs, Best New Song and Artist of the Year.
Powerful vocalist, Elena Baravilala, who emerged from the Mic Show shown on free to air Fiji One several yerars ago, took out the Artist of the Year Award at the inaugural event in the Capital City last year.
While the final list of artists to perform on the night has not really be finalised, the FPRA 2015 Awards should certainly be marked down as an event to attend for music lovers around the country.
