George Brooks Veikoso, the Fijian-Hawaiian reggae artist known as Fiji, has died at the age of 55. He passed away on Wednesday in his homeland of Fiji, surrounded by family, according to Hawaii News Now.
Veikoso co-wrote the theme song for the 1990s television series Baywatch: Hawaii. Born in Fiji on May 10, 1970, he grew up singing in church before moving to Hawaii in 1987, where he became a prominent singer-songwriter and producer in the reggae music industry.
His debut album, Evolution, released in 1994, included hits such as “Lia,” “Symphony of Love,” and “Tuberi Au.” His second album, Born & Raised (1996), brought international fame, featuring the popular track “Sweet Darlin’.”
Veikoso received the Hawaii Academy of Record Arts’ Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Male Vocalist of the Year and Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 1998. He also won the Best Pacific International Artist Award at the 2014 Pacific Music Awards and was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021 for his contributions to Polynesian reggae.
The Polynesian Music Network paid tribute on Facebook, describing him as a “beautiful soul” and stating: “Fiji was more than an artist. He was a movement, a voice for the people, a light in the dark.”
