THE Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) band is celebrating its 100th year anniversary this year.
Early years
The band was initially called the Suva Town Band in 1916 and its members were all civilians. A letter written by Eyre Hutson, who was then Colonial Secretary of Fiji, had approved the offer of the band joining the Fiji Defence Force (now the RFMF) subject to certain conditions which included the band being under the control of the Commandant (Fiji Defence Force) and that the Government subsidy of 50 pounds a year would continue to be paid.
The band started off as a fife and drums band in 1917, but became a brass band in June that year.
The band flourished in between wars and in 1941 it was reformed as the band of the 1st Battalion Fiji Infantry Regiment with members seeing active service in the Solomons. It also accompanied the Fijian contingent of soldiers to the Malayan campaign in 1952 and most of its members have been part of peacekeeping duties in the Middle East in recent years. The band has had a detachment with the RFMF unit in the MFO in Sinai since 1982.
Celebrations
The Fiji Times Backtracks team visited RFMF’s chief staff officer co-ordination Captain Eroni Duaibe at Berkley Cres to get an insight in to the upcoming celebrations and what the event hopes to bring to Fiji.
“It’s the 100th year celebration of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces band from 1917 to 2017. We are planning a big celebration over a period of three to four months which will culminate in a military tattoo,” Capt Duaibe said.
He said they would invite various bands from around the world to be part of the celebration but could not name them because they were still in negotiations through diplomatic channels.
“But the plans are already in place and we just need confirmation.”
Peoples’ Band
Capt Duaibe explained that as a buildup to the main event in December, they had planned celebrations in various centres across the country.
“In Lautoka and Nadi we will put on some displays and march through towns just to give that reassurance to the people that this is not only the RFMF’s band, but it’s ‘the peoples’ band’.
“We also have plans for Labasa who are anticipating our presence there. Events there include a march through Labasa Town and also other activities that the Labasa Chamber of Commerce has offered to assist us in,” he said.
He said it was unfortunate that the only time they appeared in Labasa was during funerals to farewell comrades.
“But word is out there on the streets that the RFMF band is coming to Labasa and people are looking forward to these events. If we have time we might go down and do a display in Savusavu just to promote the RFMF band and that monicker, ‘The Friendly North’.”
He said they were in the process of securing funding for this celebration as their operations were funded by taxpayers.
“But it’s all to promote the idea that this is not just the RFMF’s band but ‘the peoples’ band’.”
Sense of pride, identity
He said the RFMF band gave us a sense of identity as Fijians and the red and white attire that the Fiji military and also the band wore was well-known all over the globe.
“The band also marches through the streets of Suva during change of the guard ceremonies at the President’s residence and this picture is transmitted worldwide by the media.
“It gives the ordinary Fijian a sense of pride when you see the band and the guards, people in uniform, it brings back memories of home for those who have been far away from home. They always relate the RFMF band to Fiji, its sovereignty, the smiles, the sun the white sandy beaches.”
Men in skirts
Capt Duaibe said when people saw the RFMF band they always related to these things.
“Many people I’ve come across have shared their sentiments of feeling a sense of pride whenever the RFMF band performs. People we meet on the streets; people we meet abroad, even our soldiers transiting through on their way for peacekeeping duties in the Middle East have come across this.
“On one of my trips to Seoul, Korea, a man from Abu Dhabi said to me, ‘hey, I watched the RFMF band who marched through a shopping mall in Abu Dhabi; people were proud and there was so much emotion as people were touched to see men in skirts being able to march and play skilfully.
“The RFMF band is now world renowned and when people see the band they relate it to Fiji. When people see something similar to what the band has portrayed they will always relate it to Fiji,” he said.
Shredded skirts
“We have won a few awards locally and abroad, however, the reputation that has been created through the skilfulness of the band members has given a very deep and profound profile of the band even to the extent that a particular band member after the Edinburgh Military Tattoo had used the M-16 rifle to play a tune.
“Another comment given by a Scotsman was, ‘it’s so nice to see a Fijian in a shredded skirt’, comparing our sulu to their kilt.
“But there’s no denying the fact that the RFMF band has gained world recognition similar to our peacekeepers.”
The band’s latest engagement was at the Ocean Conference in New York where world leaders stood and watched the performance of the RFMF band and based on that, the Police band will now go to Bonn, Germany, for the COP23 meet.
Capt Duaibe said the whole idea about having the celebrations was to tell the people of Fiji that the RFMF band, which is the pride of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, was their band which had in its own way worked hard through the past 100 years to put Fiji on the world map.
