2004

It somehow seems fitting that the song for World Visions television campaign is Brooke Fraser's smash hit of 2003 Better, with the 19-year-old from Naenae in Wellington having so much of a worldly background herself.

"Through my mum (Lynda) and dad (Bernie) I've got Fijian, Scottish, Samoan, Spanish, German, Hawaiian, Irish ... and a whole bunch of other stuff as well," she says.

"It reminds me of growing up in Naenae, which was very much a mixed race community, with Fijians, Samoans, Cook Islanders, Europeans and even a few Somalis. It was a cool environment to grow up in. It made you more aware of the world outside your particular race."

To the public Fraser is linked to her Fijian ties the most, with her Fijian father Bernie Fraser a prolific try scoring winger for Wellington and the All Blacks in the late 1970's and early 80's. "Dad was born in Lautoka and spent his childhood in Fiji before his family emigrated to New Zealand when he was 11."

Music wasn't a prominent in the Fraser household, where she grew up with her parents and brothers Shea and Mathew. But she pursued it with a passion as a child, taking piano lessons at 7 and teaching herself to play the guitar, writing songs at 12 and performing solo at 13.

New Zealand artists had made an impression without her even knowing about it.

"I got a 'Best of Dave Dobbyn' album last year and put it on. I cant remember listening to him growing up, but I knew all his great songs."

Like Dobbyn, Fraser's song writing abilities are well recognised in the music scene and reflected in her debut album What To Do With Daylight, released late last year.

As with her debut single, it has genuine staying power, which she hopes will bring rewards when they take on the Australian market this year.

"I know it sounds contradictory, but I have a strong sense of self, which comes from having a strong family. And in terms of expressing the true essence of .yourself, it's easier for me to do that through my music, to me it's more effective as a communicative tool in terms of reaching peoples hearts."