. Jazz too, has become increasingly popular as cultural horizons have broadened.
Qawaali
According to
Qawaali/Ghazal singer Ustad Sheikh Mohyudean (August 1, 1920 – January 1, 2015) and Indian Classical musician Cassius Khan, the Qawaali has undergone a major transformation in Fiji. Because of the lack of classically trained tabla players who came to Fiji in the late 1900s, after their demise, some qawaali musicians started playing with dholak players who only knew how to accompany the Bhajan, and therefore incorporated a new style of music, somewhat akin to early jazz. When the trend caught on, some Bhajan singers also tried their voices in qawaali, and brought Bihari elements into the music known as "Phagua gayaki" an ancient bhajan singing style in Bihar, India
. The classical qawaali style slowly took a back seat to this new style of singing, but has been snubbed by purists because of its non connection to qawaali. The word Qawaali means "utterance in the name of Allah." Qawaali in Fiji is rhythmically more challenging with a firm emphasis on percussion rather than the more traditional aspect which focuses on lyrics.
Ghazal and Thumri
Ghazal/Thumri exponent from Lucknow, India who resided in Fiji. She was a disciple of her father Ustad Amjad Ali, a Thumri exponent. She later learned in India from greats such as Ustad Faiyaz Khan and Shamla Bhave of Bangalore, India. Her extraordinary vocal capabilities in her voice ranged close to 4 octaves and in her prime, quickly ruled the charts of Fiji's music industry. In her career she won 36 trophies and numerous recognitions and awards between 1947 and 1973. She was awarded the title "Malika-e-Ghazal" or Queen of Ghazal
in his hometown New Westminster, BC, Canada, which debuted in 2012.
Dholak music
Notable Dholak player Sashi Roy is one of the leading exponents of Dholak playing who was born in Nadi, Fiji. He has incorporated a new technique of playing the "dholak tarang" style- playing multiple dholaks tuned in different notes in unison and is one of the most recognized soloists in this art form. He is currently residing in Edmonton, Canada.In contemporary times, Shailendra Prakash Sharma is particularly acclaimed in this artform. He has performed with a range of artists (local and from Bollywood) during concerts, and also played in a number of locally produced albums especially in fiji bhajan and fiji kirtan.
Popular music
In the 1980s, Fijian performers like Laisa Vulakoro and Lagani Rabukawaqa became pan-Pacific stars. Vulakoro is especially well known for her part in creating "vude", a popular style that combines disco, country and island music (especially the mekerhythm), rock and roll and jazz (for which the islands are rightly famous).[2]
