Pasifika beat catches on Leni Sulusi is a future-minded man. In his younger years he was playing for the Auckland Warriors reserve team with an eye on a Warriors jersey. Today, he’s a professional Royal New Zealand Navy musician with an eye for the growth of Pasifika in the military. 32 | Navy Today #251
The Deputy Chief of Navy recently commended Petty Officer Musician Sulusi, both for his commitment and dedication to the band as a percussionist, and for creating the Ceremonial Drum Corps and the Pasifika Choir.
By 29 he realised it wasn’t going to happen. “And then I found out I was going to be a father. I thought, well, there’s not a lot of opportunities for full-time work for a musician. So I came back to the Navy, and it’s really worked out.”
He joined the Royal New Zealand Navy band in 2006, discharging in 2008. He re-enlisted in 2013. He cites his passion for rugby league as the reason for the time away.
POMUS Sulusi revived the Navy’s ceremonial drum corps in 2018, training other trades to use drums for marching and ceremonial duties. It’s a qualification, with a drummer’s badge issued. It appeals to the Seamanship Combat Specialist trade, as ceremonial duties are traditionally their domain, but anyone can do it, he says. “We’ve just trained the first female drummer, Able Electronic Warfare Specialist Lua Tufuga. People email me, we set up lessons, and it’s done in their own time.”
“I was focused on becoming a professional rugby league player, and I was also studying part-time. I got into the Vodafone Warriors reserves team, the Auckland Vulcans. I wanted to do something with my sports while I was young. Your body has a limited time frame.”
POMUS Seleni Sulusi receives a DCN Commendation from CDRE Melissa Ross.
