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Black Rose rekindled the soul of Fiji and warmed the cockles of Aucklanders when they performed in Otara recently. Fans in Aotearoa waited long to hear Black Rose live and to vude to Raude; and they were not disappointed.
Smart in black, Black Rose gave Aucklanders more than a polished performance. It wasnąt just the meke chants and lali rhythms that had the toes tapping but the lyrics struck a definite chord with the audience.
In a city teeming with Pacific Islanders, Black Rose is huge among radio listeners. When Voices of Nature was first released it was one of the most heavily played soundtrack on Radio 531 Pacific Radio Station.
"They
are the best to come out of Fiji in recent times," radio manager Sefita
Haouli said. The radio station dedicated Saturday afternoon to Black Rose
playing their songs in between live interviews with the band members.
The two Auckland concerts drew busloads from Wellington, Hamilton and the
rest of the North Island. The Galaxy Function Centre in Otara was jam
packed. Well known Lautoka musician Karuna Gopalan and his band Roy G
Biv were the support act for Black Rose with Epeli Kosa, whose popularity
on the entertainment stage outshines his soccer prowess, singing in Hindi.
Based
in Auckland, Karuna is currently working on an album and stages regular
gigs with his band of Fiji musicians at inner city venues.
Theirs
is a mixture of English, Hindi and Fijian with a heavy lean on reggae.
Kosa, Fiji soccer's one time golden boy, is a powerful presence on the Indian stage with his sharp wit and Hindi singing. Fiji Indians will flock to hear the shy unasuming Kosa.
For Auckland chef Vai Chedwyn, the $30,000 expense of bringing Black Rose to Auckland was money well spent. He'll do it again tomorrow.
"Where I come from they say, Ni bili na kai colo, qai la'i kasa i Rewa."
"People have been talking about it for so long. I get tired of the
pessimism and just forked out to
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