Preserving and promoting traditional Indian music is the reason why Vimal Chandra has continued to sing. Chandra is well known in Fiji and abroad for singing bhajan.
He has released two albums with Procera Music Fiji. Known as “Bada Vimal” and “Babasiga King of Bhajan”, Chandra is formerly from Savusavu but now lives at Khalsa Rd in Nasinu.
“I started my singing career in the 1970s. I started with singing qawali,” he said. “That time, Mohammad Kasim was known as qawali master in Bua.
He was my guru. He was the one who encouraged me to sing and he taught me how to sing qawali.” Chandra said he started singing when he was in his early 20s.
“That was through Kasim’s inspiration. He was a shopkeeper in Bua and I used to spend most of my time with him. When he was singing, I always helped him in playing instruments.
“He kept encouraging me and taught me how to play the harmonium. He then inspired me to go to Suva in the 1970s to do a qawali stage show and I sang with a renowned artist, Prem Singh. I sang with him twice.
“That wasn’t all, I met lots of qawali artists on stage and programs on Vanua Levu. Through this, I gained popularity and people started calling me to sing in various programs.”
Chandra said his cousin, Nitya Nand, from Visama, Nausori encouraged him to switch from singing qawali to bhajan. “He attended my qawali show in Suva in the late 1970s and said to me that my voice was suitable for bhajan. Nand then was Fiji’s renowned bhajan singer.
“During my stay with him, he taught me how to sing bhajan. When I returned to Bua, he used to write bhajan and send it to me through post.
“That’s when I switched from qawali to bhajan. From early 1980s, I started to sing bhajan in public programs. People then started to call me to sing bhajan in their programs.”
Chandra said his popularity started to shine in the 1980s through singing bhajan. “In the ’80s and ’90s, I was already popular among Fijians on the national level. People also started to know about me overseas.
“I took part in various stage shows with popular bhajanias on Vanua Levu and the people’s support and encouragement was amazing.
“My morale and inspiration was boosted with the people’s love and support for me. Wherever I sang, people loved my singing and commended my talent.” Chandra said the reason for him to move to Suva from Savusavu was to educate his children.
“After my marriage, from Bua I went to reside in Daku, Labasa. I was a very popular person in Daku as well. In early ’90s, I moved from Daku to settle in Savusavu where I was already famous for my talent.
“I moved to Suva only because of my children’s education. They had to complete tertiary education and parental support was needed. So my wife and I decided to settle here in Suva.
“When I moved to Suva, my fi rst bhajan competition was organised in New Zealand. I sang on stage in New Zealand and Australia with local artists.” Chandra said he was invited to sing nearly every week and the reason why he continued to sing was to safeguard the traditional Indian music in the country.
“I have sung with top bhajanias from Fiji and one of them is Fiji’s king of bhajan, Ashok Kumar, of Tavua. Apart from singing on stage with him, I sang in various cultural and religious programs with him.
“Nearly every week, I am invited to sing somewhere. Most of these programs are cultural gatherings and death ritual programs.” Chandra said his aim was to encourage young talents.
“Wherever I go, I encourage younger ones and rising talents to grow. This is very important. I feel happy when I see young children singing.
They are our future and they will be the ones who will preserve our traditional music and culture.” He added that he composes and sings his own bhajan together with the ones contributed to him by his “guru”.
“I regard Mr Brij Lal of Muanidevu in Labasa as my guru in the fi eld of bhajan. Though I composed many bhajan myself, he gave me a lot as well.
He helped me a lot in building up my talent.” Chandra is blessed to sing all traditional Hindu music such as kirtan, biraah, lokgeet and qawali.
He said young artists should have the hunger to learn from their seniors. “Have respect for them and allow them to guide you. Learn from them because only they can show you the correct path. This is how I learnt.” Chandra thanked those who helped him grow in the local music industry.
“I would like to thank Procera Music Fiji because through them, I gained popularity outside Fiji. “I would like to thank the big artists of Fiji, such as Ashok Kumar of Tavua, for inspiring the young artists in Fiji and abroad.
I salute them for the contributions they’ve made in the music industry.”
Ashok Kumar of Tavua said Chandra was a senior artist who was liked by many Fijians locally and abroad. “I know him from early ’80s. He is a very talented artist. He sang with me on stage and in various programs. He is an artist who inspires others,” he said.
Director of Procera Music Fiji Mohammad Akif said Chandra’s contribution in the local music industry was well recognised. “He is one of the pioneer artists of Procera.
Everybody knows him. He has done a lot of stage shows in Fiji and abroad with Procera Music,” he said. “He was also nominated for the music awards which Procera organises every year.
“We recognise his talent and salute him for his contributions in the local music industry.”
