George ‘Fiji’ Veikoso churned out the region’s biggest hits that made waves across oceans, but what many don’t know is that he created lyrics spontaneously.
Pastor Chris Tamanaha-Yuen remembers how the gifted singer would step into a studio and create a song entirely from memory, letting melodies and lyrics pour straight from his heart.
The pastor from Hawaii has known ‘Fiji’ for more than four decades and considers him as brother, a lifelong friend, and a man whose heart, talent, and spirit touched lives across the Pacific and beyond.
He conducted Mr Veikoso’s farewell service at the Vodafone Arena in Suva yesterday, attended by well-known artists from around the Pacific, family and fans.
“I knew George Fiji since I was six years old and I’m 48, so it’s been 42 years,” Pastor Chris said.
“I believe he was 13 or 14, we had the privilege of him staying in our home and living with us for some time with our family — him and his brother Willie.”
He recalled how ‘Fiji’ was close to his father, who was also his mentor, and how they grew up together in church.
“My parents owned a small private school in Kailua, and he attended that school, graduated from that school with honours,” he shared.
“He was really a brilliant man. He was smart. He was a genius writer.
“Majority of the time he doesn’t write on paper. It comes straight from his mind and his heart.
“He would literally walk into the studio and write a song on the spot, and a lot of the songs and hits that you hear today came right then and there off the top of his head.
“He was just an amazing human being.”
He said it was that deep connection between life and music that made ‘Fiji’s’ work so powerful.
“He was telling stories from his heart. And that’s what made the song so impactful.
“The songs that he wrote ended up being hit songs where people can identify and feel those songs, and it penetrated to the hearts of his listeners as well.”
When asked about the greatest lesson ‘Fiji’ left behind, Pastor Chris didn’t hesitate.
“He really pursued excellence and that’s what made him stand out from the others.
“We all know him as probably the most excellent musician throughout the South Pacific and artist.”