Uncovering The Real Treasure Of Fiji

With A Welcoming Community Spirit That Embraces Visitors As Family, Fiji’s Sharing Culture Is Deeply Rooted, Discovers Fiona Harper.

With eyes closed, a young boy in a turtle-patterned Bula shirt tilts sideways into his father’s lap. He’s fast asleep. Next to him, his elder brother is fidgety and looks bored.

Their father wears his best Sunday dress, a collared shirt neatly snugged at the neck with a tie, tucked into a sombre-toned sulu, the kilt-like garment that Fijian men wear on formal occasions. The family matriarch on the other hand, like her colourful peers, is far more vibrantly dressed. Immaculate in a forest-green tailored tunic worn over matching ankle-length skirt trimmed with hibiscus patterns, she has a frangipani tucked behind her left ear. Our eyes meet above her son’s head and her face erupts into an ear-splitting smile, the kind that would light up a dark night.

A card-carrying atheist with little interest in a lengthy sermon, the sole reason I’ve joined the congregation on Oneata Island is to enjoy harmonious hymns sung by a rapturous Fijian choir. Sung a cappella in their native tongue, passion is evident in their ethereal, melodious voices. The entire community is present, all in their Sunday best, and at times the entire village’s voice rise together in song. Unexpectedly, their hymns move me to tears, despite not understanding a single word.