By LITIA MATHEWSELL
Following years of extensive homage to rock-n-roll with their themed outlets and vibrant music collection, the Hard Rock Cafe’s 42nd birthday celebrations was no quaint occasion even in Fiji.
Hard Rock Cafe (Fiji) is the chain’s only outlet in the South Pacific and is overseen by the Jack’s Group of Companies at Port Denarau.
An Elvis Presley- impersonator led the charge last Saturday night with a guitar smashing show before a cake cutting ceremony by the chief guest, United States Ambassador to Fiji, Frankie Reed.
Ms Reed aptly referred to the iconic chain as a museum for music.
“Cultural exchange is so important and that is what Hard Rock has done for the world,” she said.
“I’ve visited Hard Rocks posts at almost half of the places I have been assigned, most recently in Paris and it’s the same.
“In the way it presents that aspect of American culture, going back to the 1950s and the beginning of rock and roll, the history of music and traces of the social transformation in the States.
“They do an important job-it’s a museum for music and it reminds, especially younger kids, that it didn’t start with Hip-Hop and Rap, it started a long time ago and evolved.”
Pointing to Hard Rock’s extensive memorabilia collection, she said they had preserved great recordings of artists that could otherwise have been forgotten as they were not commercially viable as artists today.
Jack’s training manager, Altaab Khan, said it was a great asset and provided a new dimension to dining for the local market.
Marketing manager, Rayna Chandra, said they were also proud of their various charity projects, which extends to annual Pinktober events for breast cancer awareness and assistance to local Homes.
The United States Ambassador to Fiji Frankie Reed cuts a massive cake to mark Hard Rock Cafe’s 42nd birthday at Port Denarau in Nadi on Saturday. Photo: SHEIK DEAN