A 12 year journey in the music industry led by hard work and dedication, and a love for Selena and her music. Meet Kuki!
It was about 30 years ago that the world mourned the loss of Latin/American singer and superstar Selena Quintanilla. Her timeless tunes and beautiful voice continue to touch the hearts of many.
Among those who were inspired by Selenas music is Fijian born and bred artist Apakuki Nalawa, aka Kuki.
His love for Selena’s work inspired him to record his own version of her hit “I could fall in love” which he dropped on the 31st of March marking 30 years since her death.
In his latest music video Kuki visits Selenas grave in Corpus Christi Texas and places a “salusalu” ( a fijian garland) at her burial site.
“Selena has always been an icon. I grew up listening to her songs and was inspired by her story and her movie” Kuki said.
“I felt like it was a way for me to pay tribute to her while adding a bit of Fijian to it by placing a salusalu (Fijian garland) at her grave”
SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FESTIVAL AND INSIDE OUT
Kuki was originally in Texas taking part in the South by Southwest Music Festival alongside his band InsideOut, representing their country Fiji.
The chance to take part in one of the largest music/film festivals in the world and to represent their country was a massive opportunity for them.
“It was an amazing experience. Over half a million people travel into Texas for this festival, and for us to be featured at the Fijian hose which was hosted by Fiji Airways was truly immense” Kuki said.
“We were the only band taken from Fiji to do this, and we’ve had so much feedback especially from the organisers based out in New York. And there word were that they did not expect a small band from Fiji to blow away the crowd and to get everyone on their feet”
“It was reassuring for us to as a group as all our hard work has paid off”
THE 12 YEAR JOURNEY AND THE FIJIAN SOUND
Hard work is something Kuki is familiar with. Having been immersed and involved in the music scene for more than 12 years, his story and journey is a true testament for his hard work.
Unlike many music artists, Kuki says while he “did not grow up in a musical family”, he was taught the importance of working hard to perfect what he is passionate about and the lessons that came from his family.
Alongside his close friends who also shared a love for music, the idea for their band InsideOut was born.
The name InsideOut speaks about their love for music, as instead of being in the norm of how musicians are trained and taught, they were self taught and perfected through hard work and love for their craft.
Or in simpler terms, falling in love from inside your heart first before relaying it out to the listeners.
The band and Kuki himself have surpassed more than 20,000+ followers on their online platforms, with a growing fan base locally and internationally. Their main goal as always is to take Fijian music and sound to the world through their work.
So what is the Fiji sound that they pride themselves in?
“I believe the uniqueness in the Fijian sound is the diction and the language we speak in and how it falls in line with the melody” Kuki says.
“The beat compliments our language, and for us at InsideOut, we’ve experimented with it and added our own fusion of pop and reggae to it”
From Fiji to the World. A mantra they uphold and live by. Having travelled to many countries and pacific islands of the region, the band are really putting Fiji on the map through their music and their sound.
Not only does Kuki push out Fiji to the world through his music and with InsideOut, he also manages 24 local Fijian artists under his company Resonance Entertainment with the hopes of growing them to the international market.
And on top of that, he is in the planning stage of a tour coming up for InsideOut which will be revealed soon.
“The sky is not the limit” Kuki chuckles.
“We want to go above and beyond. As long as we have this talent, music and the ability to work, we will keep on moving and working”
“For all the up and coming artists, keep on working through your good and bad days. Your time will come.
