George Veikoso
George Veikoso
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George Veikoso

George Brooks Veikoso (10 May 1970 – 24 July 2025), known professionally as Fiji, was a Fijian singer-songwriter, musician, producer and occasional actor. He was from Buretu, Nakelo in the Tailevu Province and both of his parents had Tongan & Fijian ancestry. He grew up in the urban area of Raiwaqa in Fiji before moving to Hawaiʻi.

Born on 10 May 1970 in Tailevu, Fiji, Veikoso's first professional singing appearance earned him $5 from the audience. He liked singing in the church as a child. He credited three relatives for helping him reach his goals including his uncle, Isireli Racule who worked on Elvis Presley's Drums of the Islands, his other uncle and Fijian jazz star, Sakiusa Bulicokocoko and Paul Stevens. Racule wrote and composed the original, non-English version of Drums of the Islands in Polynesian languages while using the name "Bula Laie." Veikoso joined Fijian band Rootstrata in 1987 but left the same year for Hawaiʻi due to the 1987 Fijian coups d'état.

In 1998 Veikoso won the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Male Vocalist of the year and Favorite Entertainer of the year.

He earned numerous other industry accolades and awards including "Favorite Entertainer of the Year" and "People's Choice Award". FIJI's collaboration on the "Island Warriors" compilation album earned a Grammy-nomination for Best Reggae Album in 2002.

Fiji also co-wrote and sang the season 11 theme song "Let Me Be the One" with Glenn Medeiros and Carlos Villalobos for the TV show, Baywatch and he acted in the 2002 surfer film Blue Crush.

He produced and released many albums during his career, including "Evolution", "Born and Raised" and "Grattitude". One of his all-time and most popular songs is "Lia".

In 2014, he was awarded the Best Pacific International Artist Award at the Pacific Music Awards.

In December 2021, he won the Pacific Music Awards, Manukau Institute of Technology Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades-long contribution to the Polynesian reggae scene.

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