WE CAUGHT up with the famous local crooner Jimmy Subhaydas as he sat among locals in the quiet town of Levuka.
The Old Capital now a former reminiscent of its past seem to be in a world of its own as people passed time along its streets. Jimmy sits cross-legged in front one of the old shops, he looks happy as he exchanged jokes and laughs with the locals.
It’s obvious he still draws a crowd wherever he goes. The once famous singer who would cast a spell among Fijians as he crooned to old classics both in Hindi and the iTaukei language back in the ’70s and ’80s looked relaxed. Dressed in a check shirt and a signature cap, the Draiba, Levuka native hasn’t lost touch of the skills to get the best out of his voice.
“Levuka is where my heart lies,” he says as we walked to a quiet place to do an interview.
“Even if I travel around the country or the world; as soon as the Patterson Brothers bus hits the jetty at Buresala in Levuka, I instantly feel relaxed because I’m home,” he said smiling.
Over three decades ago before the advent of technology, and smartphones in terms of music, Jimmy was a famous face and voice that captured fans. He changed the landscape for making music with his smooth and melodic voice.
“I’m 62 now but I’ve found that age hasn’t affected my vocals. If it’s a God-given gift, you will not lose it,” he says with a serious tone.
From classics such as Sai Kadavu, Sai Levuka ga and Nodaru Veitalatala to Hindi songs such as Kisi Na Kisi Se Kabhi Na Kabhi, Chala Jaata Hoon and many more. It was his melodious voice that caught the attention of many.
Most of his songs were redone from old classics as well as those by the famous composer Iliesa Baravilala.
“Nowadays I don’t take part in sigidrigi,” he said with much thought. “When I sit down and have grog, I just want to relax and enjoy the company and talanoa. Some when they sing they start yelling….some of the songs I sing I just croon to it, not yell, only a few lines then I’d have to go high pitch. I refrain from yelling out the song..lakolako o na qai droga.”
Jimmy, however, has some plans down the line. After taking a break from the limelight to concentrate on raising his family and his fishing and farming business, the singer hopes to do a recording soon.
“I have some sort of plans,” he confirmed. “Because there’s nothing in the market for Hindi and iTaukei songs together and I’m at the moment trying to put things in place. I’m trying to do a bit of kava farming until the end of this year, next year I’ll be free to do a recording. I want it to contain English, iTaukei and Hindi songs.”
It’s an encouraging sentiment.
For more than 16 years up to 2014, the crooner had left the music industry after a disagreement with a promoter while touring Australia. It left him embittered making his mind up to just concentrate on raising his family.
However in 2014, after much nagging from close friends and relatives he reluctantly agreed to performing at weddings and other functions. In 2015 he was invited to perform in Canada during the Fiji Day celebrations. That event would later restore his love for singing.
“That trip was really good for me because our Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and other ministers were there. It was a lifetime opportunity,” the ever humble singer said quietly.
Humble beginnings
When asked from whose side of his parent’s he inherited his singing talent, the 62-year-old who has iTaukei maternal links to Bau says his father was more musically inclined.
“My dad used to play in a band during World War II when the Americans were based here in Levuka,” he said with much reminiscence.
“They would perform at the old hall here in Levuka. He played the mandolin… the guitar and ukulele and that’s how I learnt how to play the instruments. My elder brother used to have one guitar and when we’d leave and go to work, we’d take out the strings from our father’s ukulele and put it on our guitar to play. However dad noticed the tuning was off so he would take out the strings to stop us from using the strings. One day we recorded his tunings on a cassette player, which solved the issue. We’d take out the strings and replace it again but with the tunings intact,” he laughed quietly.
“Growing up, I used to sing a few lines of Hindi songs from films. Then I’d go to my friend’s place, a Rotuman guy called Peter Romanu. We used to grog and sing then one day they pestered me for a song….they said why don’t you sing Dua tiko noqu toa.
“I was in my early 20s at the time…so I took a guitar and sang the number. This caught the attention of one local band called Ajit Feelers. They told me to join them the next day in Levuka Town to perform. When I arrived at the stage at 5pm they were doing their rehearsals. As soon as I heard the blare of the music, I got quite a fright that I ran all the way home! I was scared of the music instruments because the noise was loud.
“The next day they met me again and managed to persuade me to perform with them. They gave me a mic and I sang and it just kicked off from there. A few months later I entered a national talent quest in Suva which I won.”
Jimmy later joined a Fijian group called ‘Kalokalo Cavu ni Koromakawa’ which was led by well-known composer Iliesa Baravilala.
“We did our first recording around 1979. We travelled all the way from the island to FBC to record. It was after 5pm and the people there were like who the hell are these people?
“But as soon as we started singing the sound engineer guys were impressed they didn’t expect us to be so good. We recorded just five songs and it played on air.”
The reaction was surprising. Requests poured in for the group to perform all over Viti Levu. Jimmy added they would record that only album before they split up.
Jimmy then decided to try his hand at Hindi songs. This later got him invited to Australia and New Zealand to perform and even the Solomon Islands where he met his wife.
“People ask me if I had any training I say no, I listen by ear,” the father of four remarked.
“The other thing is you have to have lots of gas in the tank …that’s how you’ll run the melody. I don’t go to full volume, I go maybe to 6 or 7 out of 10…the one that is left there I use for me.”
For now the musician enjoys his yaqona farming and continues fishing for a living. He enjoys sitting with his friends around a bowl of yaqona in town to talk and catch up. It’s the simple things in life he enjoys.
“I’ve had a good life,” he enthuses. “My four children are all grown up and doing well for themselves both overseas and in Suva. I always thank God for my life and what I have achieved. I wouldn’t change it for anything,” he said with finality.
