Formed over ten years ago, with the sole aim of entertaining in the various tourist hotels around Fiji, BlackRose quickly became the most popular group in Fiji.
After starting at Lami’s Tradewinds Hotel, a shift to the Western Division was on the cards, due to the growing offers coming from the major hotels.
While performing long stints at the Fiji Mocambo, and Sheraton Fiji, a number of "cover" albums were produced, and these were commercially very successful, but lacked purpose apart from satisfying a demand from the local market, and visitors to the various hotels.
In 1998, a conscious decision was made to produce a quality album of classic Fijian songs, where the focus was on a more "produced" product, that would show this great music in another light.
Mai Noda, the first Fijian album was hugely successful, with several tracks becoming party and FM radio favourites in Fiji and the wider Pacific region.
Fueled by this success, it was decided that if the group is to be truely credible, it must write songs. Voices Of Nature, was a result of this effort, and apart from a couple of older tracks, it was proven the group could write songs.
This album was produced by David Leroy, a paris based dance Guru, who was drafted in to help define an international sound, capable of standing up in the international market.
This outcome is self-evident if you listen to the album, and Voices become a favourite around the Pacific region and also selling very well around the globe.
The follow-up, also produced by Leroy, Kila.?, was also very successful internationally, and displayed a much more mature songwriting ability, particularly from Timoci (Jim) Ratusila.
The last album, Rosiloa, was a remix album of the best tracks from Voices, and Kila? and contained a bonus track, I Mada, written about our pending visit to Aotearoa, to perform at Pacifika 2005, and to meet the Tangata Whenua.
This album contains a DVD of video clips and "the making of" which has some humourous moments which may give people a glimpse into the simplicity which the group enjoys in its life, and in its music creation.
As the popularity of the group grew, so did the pressures on its members.
BlackRose, having started out as a Fiji Hotel band, with the aim of having fun, and in the case of some members, a means to feed their families, had become an international force by Fijian standards.
This posed problems in itself, having little music industry experience and little or no concept of contracts, travel schedules, and commercial reality, etc, many mistakes were made.
The constant pressure to travel took its toll on some members,and others just didnt have the desire or professionalism to continue this journey in the manner that would bring respect to the group, and to Fiji as a whole.
Some members decided to opt out over a period of time and others were replaced, based on ability, and attitude, and we arrive today at the best possible lineup we can gather.
BlackRose, who now travel under the Rosiloathe Fijian experience banner, have evolved considerably over the last decade, and now presents itself as a highly professional, highly visual, and extremely talented unit, and concerts over the last year are testimony to this.
It is our aim to raise the standards of Fijian Music, while create more awareness about this unique and mysterious culture, and the wonderful people of the most beautiful place on earthFIJI.
Its been a wonderful journey of discovery, friendship, heartache, love, sadness, joy.and a lot of Kava.
