The village of Waikete in Tailevu is renowned for producing some of the country’s colourful musicians, with the likes of renowned jazz guitarist Tom Mawi, the Rabaka brothers and the list goes on.

Their legacy has prompted a young Semiti Cagi to continue on the trend.

For those who do not know Cagi, his song Na Dodomo (Lei Rosi) is currently hitting our airwaves.

“I don’t have an album as yet but I had recorded three songs and gave them to the radio stations,” the Suva City Council employee said.

“I was surprised when people started calling or texting to the radio announcers (while on air) to play my songs especially Na Dodomo (Lei Rosi). It does not end there, the songs have been played in nightclubs around Suva and also it has been remixed by some DJs.”

Cagi said his other songs are Ni’u Rui Domoni Iko Dina and Bula Mosimosi.

He said his hit song Na Dodomo (Lei Rosi) is about how our world has been torn apart by brokenness.

“This brokenness is on relationships; husband and wife splitting up; children rebelling against their parents; lovers breaking up and so on. The song is all about that and how we would have a better world if there was no brokenness.”

Cagi said he had composed all the three songs and have registered it with the Fiji Performing Right Association.

His love for music goes back to the days when he accompanied his grandfather Yabai Vonoyauyau who was from the Voqa Kei Turaki fame.

“I always love to sing and I come from a family of musicians as well. My mum is from Dreketi in Rewa and is a cousin of (vude king) Seru Serevi.”

His first break came when he joined sigidrigi group Cagi Mudre Ni Veiyanuyanu.

“It was an experience and I had learned a lot from my friends in the group as they were veterans in the music industry.”

Cagi said as time went on he made the decision to go solo.

“I had to do it because I did not want to waste time. To be in groups you need everyone’s consent before going to the next step. To me that was time consuming and I wanted to make use of my talent and move on in life. For me to do that I had no choice but to go solo.”

On his own, Cagi says, his first objective was to establish his name on the music scene and that was where he started working on his three songs.

“I had to move from our family home in Delainavesi to Raiwai and started recording with recording engineer Sireli Gumatua of Raven Studio. It cost me $150 per song but I had to pay for it so I could establish my mark.”

All his dedication and sacrifice has started to pay off as Cagi indicated that he had received calls from major recording studios who wants to buy his three songs and also for him to record his first album with them.

“I guess the sky is the limit for here on,” he added.

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