The growing chauvinism and cultural arrogance among certain iTaukei has reared its ugly head on social media about a performance at the 13th Pacific Festival of Arts and Culture in Honolulu by the celebrated dance group, Vou. (“new” in iTaukei)
Never mind that the third of Fijians who aren’t iTaukei don’t get a look-in at the Festival – presumably because they aren’t regarded as indigenous – woe betide anyone who deviates from popular orthodoxy about what constitutes an authentic iTaukei performance.
Here’s the dance in question on the CFL-Fiji Village Youtube channel. Watch this first to appreciate the context of the social media uproar to come.
Spectacular as usual. But it’s the response Vou got on the Mai TV Facebook page that is startling in its ferocity – scores of comments about the performance condemning it for not being authentically iTaukei. Click on the link below to take in the scale of the fury.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1503224007278542
It seems incredible, to Grubsheet at least, that a contemporary dance group cannot provide a modern interpretation of a traditional iTaukei meke without being “taken to task” in the court of public opinion. This was ONE item among many others by iTaukei performers in Honolulu. Yet Vou is being subjected to the social media equivalent of a stoning.
The advent of the Coalition government has revived a great deal of indigenous and religious extremism that was suppressed during the Bainimarama years and is causing a great deal of disquiet among the nation’s minorities. But it isn’t just non-iTaukei who are worried about the assault on inclusivity that threatens national unity, with its dismissive branding of non-indigenous Fijians as “vulagi” – visitors who don’t genuinely belong.
Many progressive iTaukei also know that when a dance group made up largely of iTaukei is vilified for deviating from what some people regard as appropriate, Fiji is imposing a cultural straightjacket that threatens to stifle any originality and creativity simply because people are fearful of the backlash.
Experimentation should be celebrated, not vilified. It presents no threat whatsoever to the more traditional forms of cultural expression and suppressing it isn’t in the interests of anyone, including the iTaukei.
Now for the next Festival of the Arts and Culture, how about trying to incorporate some Indo-Fijian elements into the proceedings. Now that would be really “vou“. (new)
POSTSCRIPT: Is Grubsheet alone in thinking it odd that Ifereimi Vasu – the Minister for Indigenous Affairs – is in a personal business relationship with a convicted Chinese gangster while purporting to uphold the aspirations of the iTaukei?
A funny old world, ain’t it?
Just a small sample of some of the reaction. For the rest, go to Mai TV’s Facebook page via the link above.
Fiji Nuush says
And the “vou” with that “makawa/poorana ( outdated) Jolly Roger Union Jack fluttering in the background!!!
Graham Davis says
You mean the “noble banner blue” that many Fijians think is indigenous.
Cegu Laivi says
It is the Pacific Festival of Arts. Not only traditonal Art, Not only Contemporary Art BUT all forms of art that have evolved over the centuries and is here in the Pacific.
To me, the opening Meke is probably the most authentic current representation of Fiji- The Marginal Man. We have to accept that Indians, Rotumans, “others” are here… And are here to stay. The faster we do so, the better we can move on in Fiji as multiracial Nation. No amount of this and that opinion will change that. We need to accept them.
Funny thing, is that majority who are calling for authentic Fijian meke, are the one’s who allow their children to call them “mommy” or “daddy” at home and despises their itaukei identity with all the things they do to their hair to look least like an itaukei… They should really take a look at the mirrior before giving a lecture on tradition.
Augustine Sami says
Contemporary Art need to be celebrated not rediculed . Transmitting the traditonal dance to the current is expressing the present reality. Well done VOU
Joss says
The performance of the Vou Dance Group is a disgrace to the iTaukei. This is not the traditional meke that the iTaukei is renowned for. I call this ‘fake’ meke and the Minister & PS for iTaukei Affairs should be ashamed of themselves. I wonder how the Vou Dance Group was chosen……maybe kilavata taxi. I suggest that the meke group should have been chosen from one or two of the provinces or even better if it was performed by students from ACS, RKS & QVS. They will also learn and appreciate our true culture and traditions at the same time.
Anonymous says
@Joss, totally agree with your recommendation of representation.
Charlie Charters says
Maybe you should educate yourself as to the exact reasons. Instead you have made uninformed comments about kilavata taxis. Typical ulukau to vakaji like this under cover of anonymity. It shows in an instant you don’t know what you’re talking about and you’re only animated by ‘Old Prejudices’ as Graham writes. If this is an issue as important to you as you would have us believe, you wouldn’t need to have this background explained because you would know. Instead you’re turning your criticism on the dancers and those who run VOU.
VOU were selected to perform a non-traditional meke that was scheduled to take place later in the festival. They were selected after responding to widely publicised auditions run by the Fiji Arts Council -see their Facebook page.
So VOU were already in Hawaii when asked to step in and replace the traditional group from Davuilevu who [for whatever reason] could not make their scheduled performance that was to be in the opening ceremony.
Whether you like the VOU dance or not [each to his or her own], the country owes VOU a debt of gratitude. It’s an absolute fact that without VOU rising to the occasion, Fiji’s slot in the opening programme would have been as missing as the Kanaky slot.
Rajiv Sharma says
I find it amazing that everything according to you now leads back to the Coalition Government as the root cause of evil in society.
Etho nationalism has always been and will always be present in Fiji, the only reason it was suppressed in that the past 16 years FFP did not tolerate it but that doesn’t it mean it did not exist.
What’s wrong if the dance group are being called out for not being authentic itaukei dance performance? Perhaps it does not sit well with some people that the dance was not authentic and in any case it’s all subjective as well but that does not mean they are wrong, it’s a debate. however I do agree that those criticizing the dance group should be doing it in a civilized manner and not slandering on social media.
Just look as India, a Hindu nationalist agenda is starting to back fire on Modi which has cost him an outright majority.
Is everything happening in Fiji now tied to the Coalition Government as the root cause?
Graham Davis says
Yes.
Rajiv Sharma says
Narrow minded key board warrior
( remember: Aiyaz called you that )
Fiji Nuush says
Referring to the penultimate para in Rajiv Sharma’s reply, who seems to have been sucked in by the Western media reports of the recently concluded elections in India.
“Had PM Modi won by a full majority , Western media would have been shedding tears over the death of democracy in India”(WION).
The Western media has been down playing the world’s largest democracy because it didn’t like who the Indian people voted for.
It had even gone to the extent of declaring democracy dead in India ignoring the logistics and the whole process required for India to stage the largest democratic elections in the world.
Hypocrites!
Anonymous says
Contemporary is creativity while ethnic authentism is of heritage and values. Is it not the fpa&c’s intent to showcase, preserve and share tradition and custom? Thus the vou take of heritage at a global platform is misguided, pretentious and non-representative of indigenious values.
BeOpen says
The negative comments are probably from people who don’t understand what contemporary means….
Fiji Nuush says
It would be a “vou” noble blue without the Jolly Roger Union Jack and its colonial symbol’s dominating it.
Non- indigenous folks deserve a proper representationom on it as well.
The three miserable sugarcane slave plant’s on it are an abomination.
And we’re supposed to be a republic..a weird one too!!
Those FFP twits had tried for a change but they had a different ideology, and did so without public consultations.
Dua na kuila vou talega for a new Fiji.
Tinai says
The meke is not a Rotuman dance. Vou is a particularly big dance school/performing group. As with all dance schools, favouritism exists. If performing at the meke at the Polynesian Culture or elsewhere overseas then perform it in the traditional manner please.
Rotuman dancers can perform the Tautogo.
The meke is hundreds perhaps thousands of years old. We don’t need it performed in the contemporary sense, neither would Rotumans perform the Tautogo in a contemporary dance.
There are plenty of itaukei to fill that front row of Vou for a meke…………………
It's a no brainer says
Those traditionalists who want everything done in the same way it’s always been done and not let young people express creativity with a strong element of culture through dance maybe just want everything to stay the same way. As if the traditional make means anything to most village cultures these days. Many make are based on traditional skulls and Reenactment of those, such as fishing etc. But many who live in the village spend their lives eating sunbelt, biscuit, noodles and bread.
If they insist that all make should be authentic as handed down, I guess they also wish to retain all other parts of iTaukei culture that have been handed down which has led to a culture of abuse of women and girls who are subject to violence and incest, a country overflowing with trash, and teenage pregnancies.
Wake up. If the men of Fiji who hand down all this culture “as is” knew what they were doing, we wouldn’t have a nation of poverty, domestic violence and filth.
If you want everything just as it was, stop feeding your kids biscuits, noodles, bongos and sunbell and get back to the plantation.
mroko says
Congratulations to the “Vou” group. It’s time for the younger generation to think for themselves and shine. This is 2024 not 1970. The kids or dancers represent the people from the population in Fiji today. What I saw of the dance was exciting and energetic. Go “Vou” out with the “Makawa” mentality and meke styles.
FIJIWALLA says
They are trying to change the culture and dance practice – Very soon current born Fijians
will not know the True culture of Fiji. History cannot be Forgotten – Fiji was culturally Improved by the Missionaries – They were Uncivilised in what they practiced. Missionaries
Improved on this – Firstly Fijians had the Land – than the Missionaries came and Now The
Missionaries have the land and Fijians have the Bible- This is the Truth.
Similarly the cluture would change . Fijians will have AI produced dances and the world will Laugh at You
It's a no brainer says
I think you are reading the wrong history. 87% of land in Fiji is still owned by Fijians. Of the remainder, some is owned by the nation. The rest is freehold, partly I guess owned by the churches.
Au lade au rika au lade says
There is nothing creative in the fever pitch gyrations of the male dancers, too much adrenalin and not enough art.
Can we stop glorifying war in our dances and use everyday themes, with a bit of action, bearing in mind some element of visualisation is needed for the audience.
Our lack of attention to a National Centre for the Arts and Modern Dance is clearly apparent.
Vili Wadali says
Yes. I could not understand why the male performers were so angry ….jumping around like a school.of monkeys. Then the ladies came on with a robotic Tik Tok routine. What was the message they were trying to convey?
Maikeli says
Just like in Rabuka’s new Fiji, there is no room for the Kai India in this dance troupe
Viki Wadali says
@ Maikeli.
This is a cultural festival for the indigenous peoples of the Pacific. The kai India have the Girmit Festival, Diwali, Holi etc. Lets keep them separate and celebrate the uniqueness of each.
Josua says
All plastic Fijian style these days
Noodles and kana Tavako
Fiji scandal says
Getting angry at a dance when tax holidays are provided to Fiji’s extractive water industry and major plastic creator is the summit of stupidity.
Get angry at something that actually matters. No wonder major conflicts of interest go totally unchecked.
Slacker says
What native Fijians are not taking into account is that culture evolves over time. Look at the dances in India. They were traditional. But newer dances came in and were showcased in Bollywood. And these newer dances are still Indian. A song and dance sequence from a 90s Bollywood movie will show what I mean. So even a traditional Meke will evolve as time goes on.
Bigotry and Hypocrisy says
And no one bats an eyelid at this. And we claim that we are religious and act holier-than-thou.
Where is Siromi?
22 of the 38 victims of serious sex offences in May under the age of 18.
21 incidents where victims and accused were related:
https://www.fijivillage.com/news/22-of-the-38-victims-of-serious-sex-offences-in-May-under-the-age-of-18-5f8xr4/?
Anonymous says
Disgusting. Figures like this in a small country the size of Fiji over only one month are mind blowing, and indicate a very serious cultural issue with sexual violence.
Numbers like this are released month after month to very little outcry. This should be front page news.
Sickening.
Ken Victor says
Graham Bula re,
A lot of this so-called indigenous people questioning authenticity, does not attend Bose Vanua, does not give their provincial levy, let alone contribute to the development of their vanua in any short. To make it worse they’ve been living in the city all their life that result in the outburst because had they really known authenticity of the indigenous fijian way of life, they would know the proper vakaviti channel of airing their concerns.
Sa re
Tinai says
GD’s post was about dance. Somehow it meanders on and ends up about politics and land ownership.
We are talking about dance!!!! DANCE!!
Plain and simple. Vou did not perform a traditional meke. Yes yes, perhaps there were reasons behind this.
That being said, it was NOT a meke.
Nothing to do with land ownership GEEPERS.
Actually, why don’t we have pure meke dance schools. They exist in Australia. My granddaughter attends. I’m completely for protecting the integrity of the traditional meke. But let’s get dance schools up and running to pass down the knowledge to our young ones!!!
Anonymous says
Why do you need dance schools when you have the village? You have the elders whose role is to ensure that authentic practises never change, meke, ceremonies, etc., this is where it is to be preserved, safeguarded. This is an important role for the Chiefs, leading, protecting, preserving and empowering the itaukei to be authentic proud guardians of a way of life. Let the vulagi be contemporary for their reality is making money and meaning from what they do not have, heritage.