Tribewanted: Vorovoro

It was until I was a rookie foundation student at University that I started understanding some of the reasons why things are such with the people of Mali. As part of my English unit, I have to cite a piece of oral literature about my people and explain in detail its meaning, symbolism..etc. I went to my elders in Ligaulevu to put into paper a chant that we kids used to randomly sing as yavu(foundation/ prologue) before the main meke begins to keep the adrenaline running for the participants and likewise the viewing public, but most importantly to bring people into the zone. My Nau who is still alive today: old lady with recognizable white hair(members of the tribe who have visited Ligaulevu, should remember her)then explained in detail the logic behind the meke, its importance and those special members of the tribe whose duty is to compose.

Until the London Missionary society’s attempts at “vowelling”up Bauan dialect- which is now the standard written fijian from 1835 onwards, all fijian dialects(some three hundred of them) were unwritten. Thus it remained for Mali.Mali is still unwritten today.Lyrics of mekes and chants filled this void in recording stories of the past and also about the future. Powerful stuff, I know- with explanations beyond me. God does work in mysterious ways. Here exists a rather simple, nature loving people but also intrinsically armed with gifts of telling time and recording them such that their lives are forewarned, formed and continually reformed.To be able to understand the future, one must appreciate the past through that special connection.

This meke I wrote for my project was composed before 1964, and foretold in great detail the construction of the timber mill in Malau, the three petroleum tanks and the wharf (now the bulk sugar loading terminal). These were some years before they were built by the different developers. Kids who danced in that meke are now in their fifties, and I interviewed them as well. The meke was just a meke to them back then, but now they are equally amazed.

I read with interest blogs from tribesman shedding tears when leaving Vorovoro with a sense of connection after 10 days. I cant blame you.Ben should add an addiction warning to your signing up terms as a caution. The magic however is not lost in translation. Whether your are from Europe or Asia, your arrival has helped the people of Mali massively in terms of connection and for some of them- reconnection. What was seemingly lost is now slowly building up again and this time with lots of pride. As for me, it took a project in English to help me understand ceremonies and rituals that I had taken part in but have left due to the demands of modernity.The analogy regarding the relationship between Mali community and Tribewanted is probably the same.

Vorovoro has its own chant. It talks about the present. It talks about monalivaliva(computer world) which is perhaps the internet tribe-who knows. It also talk about the future. Now lets wait and see. All we can do now is to Vakarau … annnnd Meke…. Vuki Malua o na vuki Malua….