From Fiji to The Voice

With special guest:

• Voli K
  … in conversation with Bill Kable

In the program today we speak to Voli K who recently distinguished himself by being a standout performer singing on the TV program The Voice.

iTaukei is what the Fijian people call themselves and we have a picture in our minds of what this means. We may think of the Fijian Rugby team or other representative sportsmen who are built like trees and run like gazelles. We also think of their big smiles in black faces saying Bula a thousand times a day.

What we do not think of is a white skinned Fijian. Voli K was born in Fiji and has the skin condition of albinism which affects a small proportion of Fijians, other Melanesians in the Pacific basin and people all around the world.

It was not easy for Voli in the Fijian environment because the tropical sun was dangerous for him and there were cultural objections to taking some sensible precautions such as wearing hats in the sunshine. In Fiji the majority of the people there have dark skin and have no problems in being exposed to the sun for long periods. Not so for Voli whose skin does not have the usual pigments. For him there is a higher risk of skin cancer and his eyes can also be affected.

For Voli being different raised the prospect of being bullied. So while Voli was still young his parents moved the family to Australia for a better life. Voli remains grateful for that decision so that now he lives in what he describes as a land of opportunity.

However the bullying continued in Australia because Voli was different. We learn how Voli responded and how he was able to rise above an initial crisis of confidence. Voli is now a public figure, a successful entertainer with a magical singing voice that we get to hear in a song he has written himself.

This program lets us learn something about albinism and how it affects daily life. We learn something of Fijian culture and we can follow Voli as he takes his singing talent to the world.

Voli K

Voli K is a soul infused singer songwriter performer. His music & lyrics are motivated by love … connecting and inspiring others to overcome adversity and embrace being a force for good.

Voli had challenges - bullied mercilessly in his community for being physically different … he even became the bully, before discovering acceptance through music & embracing his unique story.

He is now connected: music + audience + environment = family

His debut single “If I Could” was released independently in May, 2019 and is available through all the usual channels including Itunes, Spotify and Apple Music. For more information go to the website of Voli K

Song selection by our guest: If I Could by Voli K

Note: This program is an encore presentation of the one aired on 22 August 2019.

Podcast (mp3)