If there is one name that is synonymous with the explosion of iTaukei popular music in the ’70s, it will have to be Kabu ni Delai Kade.
Like the misty mountain the group was named after, the band emerged out of Koro Island with a new sound and songs that appealed to the masses.
Sadly, Semi Keli, the man who founded the ensemble, died last week. He left behind a collection of hundreds of songs which captured the hearts and minds of the iTaukei people.
Songs such as the ode to love Nodaru Gauna, the foot-stomping groove of Seru Noqu Domoni Iko and the vude vibe of Dredre Vei Au will continue to be played for years to come, such was the songwriting prowess of Keli.
He had the uncanny ability to marry lyrics to melodies over the years and he created songs that struck a chord with iTaukei fans for generations.
His passing would no doubt leave a huge chasm in the Fijian music landscape. Keli was originally from Nadivakarua, Bua, but was born and raised in Kade on Koro Island, where his mother was from.
His musical journey began in 1966 when as a nine-year-old, Keli would sneak into sheds around Kade Village where the menfolk would gather to drink kava while being entertained by the chugging guitars and sweet melodies of sigidrigi songs. It was there that his interest in singing began.
Like most young people on Koro, he was keen to learn more and was eager to develop his talent, and during his free time, he would get hold of a guitar and begin strumming away.
He did not let his age nor lack of knowledge impede his dream to create music. Keli said in an interview with this newspaper two years ago, that his heart kept telling him to venture into music.
The soft-spoken Koro gentleman said because age was catching up with him, he looked forward to sharing with The Fiji Times, the story behind the genesis of Kabu ni Delai Kade.
The iTaukei people from the ’80s would recall a tune titled Rarawa Ni Yaloqu, one of the group’s first and still being played today.
It was one of the first songs that made this group of four boys realise they had a good future ahead of them. In the early ’70s, Keli and three other cousins were often invited to village sheds to perform the few songs they had written themselves to entertain the village elders.
At that time, groups such as Voqa Kei Nasau, Tegu ni Delai Koro and Seni Vetau Kula were already making waves in the local music scene. After their impromptu performances around villages on Koro Island, Keli and his cousins formed Kabu ni Delai Kade in 1972.
And their musical journey began. By combining their unique songwriting with beautifully crafted melodies and western instruments, the group brought a breath of fresh air into the music scene. Sigidrigi lovers were blown away by the group’s performances and their more than 200 songs – most of which became instant hits.
“I look back today and I am humbled by the journey we went through and the many places we have visited and the heights we reached as a group,” the 62-year-old Kabu ni Delai Kade lead singer said.
“There were challenges and triumphs, but we managed to overcome them and ensured we achieved our dream and the dream of all our elders back in the village. “But we owe all this to two people – the late Filimone Lote and Yaminiasi Gaunavou.
“They helped us realise what becoming a professional band was all about because, as a group of young boys from Kade, we had no idea.”
Leaving Koro Island for Suva for the first time was a big deal for the group of five boys, let alone being exposed to the studio environment at the then Fiji Broadcasting Commission.
The original lineup was Semi Keli, Josefa Nawailoa, Peni Naulu, Peni Nadiri and Pita Waqa.
While acclimatising to city life, Gaunavou, most commonly known as YG – a renowned radio announcer at the time, worked round-the-clock to ensure the boys registered their band under the Kabu ni Delai Kade banner.
YG also took them under his wing and ensured they were not swept away by the lures of city life.
It was in 1979 when the group took Fiji by storm and they never looked back.
They performed in many places around the country and the popularity of their songs even took them to a few countries abroad.
Vude king Seru Serevi in his tribute said, “another musical icon has left us. He will be remembered for giving us beautiful, timeless songs”.
Moce mada Semi Keli. Rest in peace.
