King Kapisi on the Pasifika artists who helped shape NZ music
Many of you will already be familiar with AudioCulture - it's an ever-evolving online archive of New Zealand's music history. Well last month they dropped 'The Pacific Music Collection', which celebrates music made in Aotearoa by artists with Pacific heritage. One of the contributors to this collection was Silver Scroll Award-winning hip-hop artist King Kapisi. He talks to Jesse about the artists who have helped shape the sound of Aotearoa.
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NZ Herald
14 hours ago
- NZ Herald
King of island reggae George ‘Fiji' Veikoso remembered as a Pacific reggae trailblazer
Pome'e is the lead singer for South Auckland reggae band Three Houses Down. He shared memories with the Herald about growing up with his brothers listening to international reggae icons Bob Marley and UB40 - before a new voice entered their home when Fiji released his Born & Raised album in 1996. 'In my mind, I just thought that no one does reggae unless you're from Jamaica. But when I saw that album cover... I was thinking: 'No way. This guy's from Fiji'. 'Listening to the songs - instantly, it was like: 'Holy heck. Our Polynesian people can do this'. He gave us hope from a young age - this is doable.' Pome'e talked of the uniquely Pacific sound Fiji brought to the world of reggae in the 1990s. 'It was something fresh. Being a Polynesian, he knew of the sound as Polynesians - the Pacific sound,' he said. A special power with the crowd 'As soon as that drum roll starts, you gravitate towards it because that's our sound. I just couldn't believe there was a Pacific Islander doing reggae.' Fijian music legend George 'Fiji' Veikoso had died at the age of 55. Photo / @FijiTheArtist As the frontman of his own band, Pome'e said he studied Fiji's stage presence and how he interacted with the crowd. One memorable moment was at the One Love Festival in Tauranga, in 2017, when Fiji took to the stage and spontaneously called on the crowd to join him in singing Māori waiata: E Papa Waiari. Video footage showed the masses singing: 'E papa waiari, taku nei mahi, taku nei mahi, he tuku roimata. 'E aue, e aue. Ka mate au. E hine, hoki mai ra.' The spontaneous show of harmony brought people in the crowd to tears. Fiji's spontaneous sing-along with the crowd at the One Love Festival in 2017 was a highlight that year. Photo / George Novak Pome'e said it was that special quality that Fiji had - and which many others could not duplicate. The voice of the Pacific 'One thing I learned from him... he was unpredictable. He had this special power where he read the crowd. 'It's not just about playing the songs. It's reading the crowd, being with the crowd, playing what the crowd wants and interacting. 'You can stop the band whenever you want or point someone out who's not dancing.' As well as writing and composing his own songs, Fiji also covered songs in Pacific languages - turning them into his own. Among those is his hugely popular rendition of the Samoan ballad Sosefina, written by Fafo Aulalo, of one of Samoa's most loved old school bands: Tiama'a. 'He was the voice of the Pacific - literally. He would take time to learn Tongan and Samoan songs,' Pome'e said. Speaking on the way Fiji operated in the recording studio, Pome'e said it was Fiji that showed him the need to truly connect with the words behind a song. 'Even to a point where do you ever wonder what the composer was going through at this time? 'He would really take you into that space. He wanted you to sing it and imagine what the composer was going through - how crushed his heart was when this happened. 'So when he educated you in the studio and you come back and listen to all his music, it hits different.' Pome'e, who is also a presenter for radio station Flava, shared a heartfelt on-air tribute to the legend he got to create and perform music with, and know as a mentor and family friend. 'Fij, thank you for the songs that got me through the hard days and made the good ones even better,' he said, his voice breaking. 'I'm so grateful for the way your music made me feel. You gave me more than music. You gave us hope, truth and something real to hold on to. 'Thank you for leading the way and lighting the way for all Poly artists like me. Your gift to the world became a gift to my life - and I'll never forget that.' Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for the Herald's Talanoa section, sharing stories from the Pacific community. She won junior reporter of the year at the then Qantas Media Awards in 2010 and won the best opinion writing award at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.
RNZ News
15 hours ago
- RNZ News
From Siberia to the South Pacific
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Novosibirsk Opera House; Lev Sivkov's home town. Photo: Alexander Klink If Lev Sivkov wasn't a musician, maybe he'd be a farmer. The Siberian-born cellist is in New Zealand to play the solo role in Britten's Cello Symphony with Orchestra Wellington , along with making chamber music as one third of the Levansa Trio. Growing up in Siberia gave him a deep appreciation of nature, something he also enjoys when he comes to New Zealand. It's Sivkov's third visit to Aotearoa. His friendship with fellow Levansa players (New Zealand-based violinist Andrew Beer and pianist Sarah Watkins) has made him more than an occasional fixture in the NZ chamber music scene. The Levansa Trio already has one album out on the Atoll label and there are plans to record another during the cellist's current trip. Levansa Trio: Andrew Beer (vln), Sarah Watkins (pno), Lev Sivkov (cello), Photo: Supplied Wellington Chamber Music Trust Sivkov spoke with RNZ Concert ahead of his gig with Orchestra Wellington, and part-way through his tour with the Levansa Trio. He certainly likes to mix things up. A few weeks back he was leading the cello section of the orchestra of Opernhaus Zürich in a concert performance of Brahms' 4th Symphony. Sivkov met the New Zealand members of the Levansa Trio through an ex-pat Kiwi currently living in Switzerland. This year's tour has already taken the ensemble to Hamilton, and there are also has concerts in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Wairarapa. Sivkov describes Britten's Cello Symphony, which he wrote for the great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, as a "very intellectual" work, but one which rewards close listening. "It's an old joke about Russian literature: there are books where the reader suffers, there are books where the writer suffers, but when both reader and writer suffer - that is the great book of Russian literature." He suspects Britten had that sense of Russian depth when he wrote the Cello Symphony. Sivkov still has a soft spot for the "tough" old-school Russian teachers of his youth, although he wouldn't necessarily teach his own students that way. Maybe something between the old Russian approach and the more liberal ways of Western Europe. Does he miss Russia? Yes, although if he went back to Novosibirsk he probably wouldn't work as a full-time cellist, maybe he'd take up farming - although he's not exactly sure what sort of farmer he would be. Funnily enough, the last concert of his current NZ tour with the Levansa Trio will be on an apple orchard in Wairarapa. "Perhaps I can discuss farming options when I am there," he jokes. RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump and cellist Lev Sivkov. Photo: RNZ
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
George 'Fiji' Veikoso dies aged 55 in Suva
By Lice Movono George 'Fiji' Veikoso helped shape the sounds of Island reggae and R&B. Photo: ABC Pacific / Penina Momoisea Fijian-born recording artist and Pacific music legend George "Fiji" Veikoso has died at the age of 55 in Suva, his family has confirmed. Best known for shaping the sound of Polynesian reggae and Island R&B, Veikoso spent more than 30 years in Hawai'i, where his music career took off and earned him global fame. He returned to Fiji in 2024 for his first-ever Homecoming concert, a sold-out event in Nadi that drew thousands of fans from across the Pacific, with a second concert planned for September this year. Veikoso had spoken publicly about his illness, which saw him perform in a wheelchair and continue touring despite ongoing health challenges. In a post shared by organisers of the Homecoming Festival, his team said: "As we deal with the immense sadness for our beloved George 'Fiji' Veikoso - a legend whose music united generations and whose spirit uplifted many around the world - we ask for your patience and understanding at this difficult time… Your voice will forever echo in our hearts, Fiji." Tributes are pouring in from across the Pacific, with fans and fellow artists remembering him as more than a singer; a cultural force, a mentor, and a voice for his people. Chair of the Fiji Performing Rights Association and fellow music legend Laisa Vulakoro paid tribute, calling it "a great loss for Fiji and the Fiji music industry." "He's the biggest artist that ever came out of Fiji and the Pacific," she said. "He made Fiji proud - his name is Fiji." Vulakoro said Veikoso's contribution went far beyond popularity. "He started something very distinctive - the way he combined Fijian music into reggae while keeping traditional themes… chants, vude, vanua, identity - he took Fiji music to another level. We all emulated him." Fighting back tears, she added, "He was an amazing, amazing human being. My biggest idol. I'm really, really sad today." George "Fiji" Veikoso leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire generations. - ABC
