Grace’s wish for the rain
GRACE Vuata was on her way back from the University of the South Pacific when she got the call that she had made it into the top 10 finalists list for the Domo Vou Talei song contest.
“I have classes from 4pm to 6pm on Tuesday, and I was on my way back home to New Town when the phone rang,” the 19-yearold said.
“But because the music was so loud in the bus, all I heard was ‘Australia’ and I thought this must be about the Ferguson application.
“I had applied for a scholarship in Australia and thought the call had to do with that, so I got off at Centrepoint.
“I called the number back and it was Erica from Australian High Commission, and I was so happy that I got shortlisted.”
Vuata’s song is titled ‘Wish for the Rain’.
“It is based on a poem written by someone who was losing his father, and he longed for his father to return, but sadly he passed away.”
The Nadoi, Rewa villager with maternal links to Tamavua-i-Cake Village, Naitasiri, said she was brought up in a strong Christian household.
“I grew up in family that really loves music, my father is a Methodist church minister and my mother was a choir mistress.
“I started singing at church when I was in primary school and we also have a mini choir session at home with my two brothers, sister and dad.”
Vuata said nothing surprised her anymore as music had taken her to places she had never dreamed of.
“I went to New Zealand in 2019, as part of the Adi Cakobau School choir.
“I was a boarder at Adi Cakobau School and joined the choir in Year 9.
“When I was in Year 13, I was given the best music award, I was the school choir mistress — so I would conduct our songs in church, and tune the songs during church service.
“Instagram was the platform I used to upload my first video in 2017 and it had 1.2 million views and 107 comments.”
The Fiji Times is a sponsor of Domo Vou Talei, along with Westpac, Australian High Commission, FPRA, Communications Fiji Ltd and Knox Entertainment.
Get your tickets to the Woodstock Uprising Music Festival which will be held in Pacific Harbour on July 9 and be there to watch the 10 finalists perform live, witness the final judging of the competition and the winner being announced.
I started singing at church when I was in primary school...
– Grace Vuata