Like many local artists, Anarieta Sabua Leduaivosaki’s interest in music began in church. But once she caught the secular music bug, there was no stopping her.
Today she has hit songs out and a growing legion of fans. Many may know her because of her hit song 2 Bags Waca La recorded and released under the stage name Etta Gonerogo.
But what many don’t know is that this songstress has been making sound waves since just before the turn of the century. Her first shot at singing was with a popular group in the ’90s called Raikivi Boys.
“They were looking for a female singer and the only singing experience I had was in church,” she said.
Etta comes from a very strong Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church upbringing. She first sang in church as a young girl and began getting involved in the choir and youth groups.
But when she began singing professionally, she found it difficult to reconcile the doctrine of the church with the work she was doing.
“I was brought up in a strong SDA family. The church teaches that we serve God to the core, and according to scripture.
“The scriptures guide us on our dressing, the food we eat and respecting the Sabbath. “We are also taught to have a very personal relationship with God.”
Despite the voices that said turning from God was singing for the devil, she could not hold back from doing what she loved.
“When I started singing, I could not stop, I loved it and it provided for me.
“I told myself that this was going to be my career.” She spent the first eight to 10 years of her singing career with the Raikivi Boys, performing in nightclubs and hotels.
“We spent a lot of time at the Sheraton and by the time I turned 21, I formed my first band, Zambua.”
Etta did this after about three years with the Raikivi Boys and celebrated both her birthday and the formation of her band with the band boys.
“We went and had dinner at Daikoku Restaurant in Nadi that night.
“Zambua was my first contracted band with a residency at the Mocambo Hotel (now the Novotel Nadi).
“We were also handling private functions at the Sheraton and at the Shangri-La Fijian Resort.”
All seemed to be going well until the coup of 2000 which killed Zambua.
“The flights were empty or they stopped, the hotels had no guests and we had no work.
“I took a break during this time, I travelled for a bit and then came back to form Jedi Queen.”
Named for the force wielding guardians of order and justice in Stars Wars, the band began in early 2003 and played at some of the hotels in Nadi.
“Later that year I got an email from Bernadette Rounds-Ganilau, she was looking for bands to play at entertainment venues in Suva during the 2003 South Pacific Games.
“Bands were brought in to play and she asked us to come to Suva and play during the opening at the Suva Civic Centre and we stayed and played for the closing as well at Sukuna Park.
“We were very lucky in those days because it gave us something when there was literally nothing happening on the music scene.”
Etta is a firm believer in live music and is not shy to speak about it. “Music just sounds different when it is played in the flesh, when its created right in front of you.
“There was a dark period in our music history when performing artists relied on backing tracks.
“The audience might as well just stay home and listen to the songs on the radio because it’s the same thing – you can’t give what you want to give as an artist.”
Etta said she was proud of the fact that her fellow female artists did not entertain the use of backing tracks in their performances. All was going well until marital issues forced her to stop singing. She described that period as “dark days”.
“Music literally wakes me up every day and to stop singing – it killed me as an artist.
“But thank God for second chances because one morning I got up and decided I was going to sing again.”
The big break for her came in the form of 2 Bags Waca La which did not take off her at home until it was pushed by Fijian radio stations in Australia, New Zealand and in Europe.
“It might be a calling or a gift or maybe it just comes down to family trait.”
Etta hails from Vadravadra in Gau, Lomaiviti, with maternal ties to Naravuka Village in Seaqaqa, Macuata, her kinsfolk are known for music.
“Where I am from in Vadravadra Gau, our family is known as the singing family.”
Her grandfather and granduncles were part of a couple of groups including Miramira ni Katudrau and Ruve Vula ni Muai-Gau. One of them, Isimeli Loga was a composer, and composed songs for the likes of Black Rose, Laisa Vulakoro and Waikoula kei Tavua Her cousins were also members of hit groups in the ’80s and ’90s — the Mua-i-Gau Trio and Voqa kei Gau e Loma, and their songs remain popular to this day.
Her cousin Peni Seniyasi, known for his sultry voice – similar to renowned US artist Luther Vandross — performed at the launch of Etta’s Island Queen album at the Vineyard in Suva in April 2021.
The launch was the culmination of the long and hard-fought battle.
It marked the coming of age of an artist who managed to restart her career despite the issues and challenges she faced in life.
