reggae

/'rεgeι/ n. 1 a form of music originating in Jamaica blending blues, calypso, and rock-’n’-roll, featuring a heavy bass line, percussive rhythm guitar on the (strongly accentuated) offbeat, and lyrics of social protest, often with close vocal harmonies.

Not long after I arrived here, I made the mistake of going to McDonald’s. I guess it was my own fault, and I should have known better. But let me explain. It was a Sunday morning, and nothing in Suva was open. Janet and I had gone into town to try and buy some mundane household items, and naïvely believed we would be able to find what we were looking for. But of course, all the shops were closed. After an entire morning of walking the streets of Suva in vain, I realised how hungry I was. But — as I mentioned — nothing was open. Nothing, that is, except McDonald’s* … and so, I walked in and ordered a burger and a drink. Janet was sensible, and waited ’til we got home, but I was desperate. I have said to some of my friends that it was like eating a burger you would have bought from McDonald’s twenty years ago. It was small, and dripping with oil. The only thing needed to make the nostalgia complete was the polystyrene container. About half an hour later, I was the sickest I had been since we arrived. Even with the other mild stomach upsets I’ve had here, I still don’t think I’ve had anything to top how I felt after chowing down that hamburger.

Likewise, musically, being in Fiji is like stepping inside a time machine and being transported to another era. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve said to myself, “Gee, it’s been a while since I’ve heard this one”. Chart-topping hits like “Achy Breaky Heart” and Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” are two of the most memorable ones I’ve heard. Mind you, there are many, many others I could list. One of the first tapes I ever bought for myself when I was younger was a mix of cheesy love songs from the ’80s (and if you know me well, you’ll know I hate most ’80s music). Who remembers Milli Vanilli? Yep, they were featured too. And yet, these are the songs I keep hearing in cafés and on the radio stations. Taxi drivers and bus drivers play them again and again.

I have never heard so much reggae in all my life. It’s everywhere. I heard a Céline Dion song on the bus yesterday morning, being sung with a typical reggae beat added underneath. There was a UB40 concert here in Fiji not that long ago, and a lot of Fijians are still under their spell. Lucky Dube and Bob Marley also feature prominently.

Because we all use public transport fairly regularly, we have come to know the most popular tunes, and are just about ready to put together our own compilation album, called “Nasese 4”. The Nasese 4 is the bus that goes by our house on the way to town (through the suburb Nasese), and which we have all used at some point. It is sure to be a quizzical mix of music, not necessarily used for our listening pleasure, but rather to transport us back to our time in Fiji once our assignments are up. Again, if you know anything about my musical tastes, you’d be quite surprised at some of the music I’ll end up owning:

• “Oh, Girl” by Paul Wall


• “Good Situation” by UB40


• “The One” by Lucky Dube


• “Stars Are Blind” by Paris Hilton


• “Na Vale Ni Navutu” by Georgina Ledua


• “If You Wanna Find Love” by Kenny Rogers


• “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira


• “Dragostea Din Tei (Ma Ya Hi)” by Dan Bălan and Lucas Prata

I know, I know … it’s truly cringe-worthy.

While we’re talking about music, I would just like to restate my appreciation for most “country and western” music. Tragically, all of my Rascal Flatts CDs were stolen during the robbery. (Along with some other things of purely sentimental value … if anyone out there sees a CD labelled “Andrew’s Fiji Photos Disc 2” floating around, could you please let me know? I’d really love to have it back …) Ruthie asked me the other day for the three reasons I like country music so much. The answer is easy. One: Awesome harmonies; Two: Simplicity; and Three: Truth. Sadly, she does not agree. Her three reasons for not liking country music are: Annoying, Nasal, Whining. I tell ya, these comments are like a dagger through my heart. It’s just lucky our friendship can transcend such trivial differences in opinion … right, Ruthie?

I’ll be home soon. This is a time of mixed emotions for me, and I hope to write more about this next time. For now, though, I hope everyone is happy and healthy.

Cheers,
Andy

* Incidentally, with the high proportion of Fijian people being Christian (at least nominally) and attending church regularly every Sunday, I thought it was very interesting that McDonald’s at Sports City would choose to bring Ronald McDonald himself, live and in person, to the restaurant on a Sunday morning one week rather than a Saturday (when he would have surely had heaps more kids to meet and greet). What are they trying to do? Is it a piece of clever, insidious marketing? Or am I being overly analytical?