Uiliami Leilua Vi known by his Tongan noble title Hon. Lord Veehala (1925–1986) was a Tongan nobleman best known as a nose-flute player. He remains the most famous Tongan musician, both at home and abroad, and his recordings are still traditionally the first broadcast every day by

Radio Tonga Radio Tonga (also known by call letters A3Z) is Tonga's main commercial radio station, founded in 1961 by Queen Salote Tupou III, and operating as a service of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission (TBC). Its slogan is ''"The Call of the Friendly Is ...

Background

He was born on March 23, 1925, in Nuku’alofa to Hon. Lord Veehala (Feleti Vi) and Mele Luisa Simoa Vi of Fahefa Estate,

Tongatapu Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% of the nation ...

. He was educated at

Tupou College Tupou College is a Methodist boys' secondary boarding school in Toloa on the island of Tongatapu, Tonga. It is located on the Eastern District of Tongatapu near the village of Malapo. The school is owned by the Free Weslyan Church of Tonga. Estab ...

and finishing off at Wesley College and Grammar School,

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. In 1946, after his father's death he was installed upon the noble title of Veehala and inherited the Fahefa estate. He was a governor of Ha'apai and Keeper of Public Records from 1948 - 1953, than from 1950 - 1968, he was the Secretary of Traditions Committee in

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

Marriage and issue

He married Eva-i-pomana Ulukalala, natural daughter of Hon. Lord Finau Ulukalala VI (Ha'amea). They had two sons and one daughter

Death

He died of unknown circumstances on November 26, 1986, and his son succeeded him as Hon. Lord Veehala.

References

Free Tree Maker Genealogy. Retrieved 2010-10-24 {{DEFAULTSORT:Veehala, Honourable 1925 births 1986 deaths Tongan flautists 20th-century flautists