George 'Fiji' Veikoso celebrates his Tongan roots [1]
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - 21:39. Updated on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 09:45.
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THE Pacific's biggest vocal artist George Veikoso, otherwise known as "Fiji" holds a one-off concert tonight with the Kami Kids at the Atele Indoor Stadium as part of the Heilala Festival celebrations this week.
Arriving in Nuku'alofa on July 27 for the second time, the Hawaiian based Pacific island artist revealed that he was very happy to be performing again in Tonga, considering he is part Tongan with strong roots in Vava'u.
"For the concert tonight I will be mixing it up and singing various songs from my albums particularly those that I know are popular in Tonga. It would be a very festive and vibrant show where you will see large men dancing on stage," he said.
Proud of his Tongan roots, 'Fiji' will be singing popular tunes such as a Tongan melody titled "Feluteni, Come on Over".
Vitilevu
Born and raised in the island Viti Levu in Fiji, the 39-year-old singer migrated to Hawaii at the age of 14 and later made his mark in the music scene with the launch of his first album Evolution in 1994.
His unique music fusion aligned the Pacific island sound with everything from hip-hop, reggae to R&B later earned him the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Male Vocalist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year in Hawaii in 1998.
Talking to the local media on July 28, he said his music not only represents the Pacific Islands but it also celebrates and captures the beauty of our culture, way of life and language.
He departs Tonga in the weekend for a tour of Samoa and Guam before going to the United States.