WOMEN OF THE ISLANDS - KALI TUI
Kali Tuli
Fijian
Singer / Songwriter
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Please introduce yourself (what you do, where you're from)
Bula, my name is Abigail Tuiqilaqila also known as Kali Tui. Fiji has 300+ island and I am from the the village of Tubou on the Island of Lakeba with maternal links to Nukuloa, Gau, Fiji. Born and raised in Suva and I am proud to be an artist/singer in Fiji's music industry.
What was it like growing up in fiji?
Growing up in Fiji is a unique experience. We have under a million in our country's population and I'm blessed to be one of the few who gets to call Fiji home. Being home is always fun and relaxing as we live on "Fiji Time". It was also very humbling to live here as we have many different backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures in this country.
Did you always want to be a singer/songwriter?
Ever since I was little, I've always loved singing for sure.
What was your journey into music like?
I have always sang as a hobby growing up in church and at home so when I got bit older, I bought a mic and vocal tracking software with my Dad's card and the rest is history. I made some covers of my favorite songs and I posted them to SoundCloud and my Instagram. VT1s reached out to me through Instagram and signed me on as an artist and I have singing with them ever since.
Your recent fijian version of Carry My Heart has gone viral! How did that cover come about? Did you expect it to do so well?
I'm so incredibly blessed and grateful for the Collab with Myshaan. He is an incredibly humble guy and he reached out to VT1s for a Collab with any of the artists of their choosing. I'm grateful that my team at VT1s trusted me to jump on Carry My Heart and the outpouring of love and support so far has been amazing
How important is it for you to make music in the fijian language?
It is so important to keep our language alive in any way that we can. Many choose to speak it and we at VT1s choose to sing it. I am not completely fluent in Fijian but I continue to learn new words through the lyrics from our incredible songwriters, who are well versed in the Fijian Language. I imagine that many have the same experience as me and I'm happy to be a part of many who actively advocate for the preservation of our language and culture through our music.
What advice would you give to other young fijian youth who want to get into music?
My advice to our youth is to keep dreaming and working hard in whatever you do. "Do your best in the little and the big things" Stay humble and when the opportunity comes, make the most of it and don't hold yourself back.