Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
Males are just as involved in the Mountain View Cultural Group as females.

Sadeke Brooks, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Though there is spiralling violence in the troubled community of Mountain View in East Kingston, a cultural group from the area is trying to promote peace through music.

The Mountain View Cultural Group comprises 35 members, mostly in the 15 to 20 year old age range. There are five members from each of the seven districts in Mountain View, namely Top Range, Nannyville, Back Bush, Jacques Road, Jarrett Saunders, McGregor Gully and Burger Gully.

This new initiative was formed through the Area Youth Foundation and Mountain View Community Council earlier this year. It is the first of its kind in the area, as the various sections have long been at odds due to political violence that dates back as far as the late '60s.

"It has been making a difference in some of the communities, because people from down the bottom (of Mountain View) can come in my community. It (the group) has been making a nice impact in making Mountain View, build back into one community," said Garfield Brown who is part of the group. He is from Nannyville and attends Holy Trinity High School.

Interesting experience

Brown says participating in the group has been fun and quite an interesting experience. "I didn't think I would socialise with others because of the war. When they form this, I have been able to go down there," he said.

The president of the Mountain View Community Council, Milton Tomlinson, says he too has seen the positive impact of the group.

"When youth see other youth a do positive things inna di community it will force dem to follow. Is all about company," Tomlinson said.

Narisha Small, who attends St Hugh's High, says being a part of the group has been making a positive impact on her life. And she says she is happy about the influence that it is having on the lives of others in the community.

"All of us are trying to make a positive impact through music, although we come from different political groups. It opens other people's minds, 'cause we are the young youth trying to make a difference. Everybody is looking up to us, even the adults," said Small, who is from Top Range.

She continued, "I pass and hear people listening to our song, We Need To Stop, and I can see that it touch them."

The song was produced by the Mountain View Community Council and Area Youth Foundation. Area Youth was also instrumental in training the group members in music, dance and drama. The song says in part:

"It is six o'clock and the sun goes down

Someone was killed without a guilt

A baby in a crib was what he was

Shot to the head and now he is dead"

Another member of the Mountain View Cultural Group, Sherena Lindsay, who is also from Top Range, says the beginning of the song helps to grab people's attention. She says she hopes that the words will be strong enough to get people to work together and promote peace.

The group has performed at the Hilton Kingston hotel, the Jamaica Pegasus hotel and Courtleigh hotel, all in New Kingston, and were part of the peace march in downtown Kingston on Peace Day.

A video for the song was shot in all seven areas of Mountain View and is currently on CVM-TV's Hit List.

Well-produced efforts

Professor Barry Chevannes says the video is excellent and well-produced and commends the group on their efforts.

"They are making a big impact. They come from several communities in Mountain View. They should have a good influence right across," said Chevannes.

Tomlinson says the Mountain View Cultural Group has far to go, as there are plans to start a marching band in Mountain View with the group at the core. However, he realises that they need more development. He says he wants to see how best being in the group will help young people to realise their full potential culturally.

"When some of them fail academically they feel like rejects, but they have other talents and things like these can help to build their self-esteem," Tomlinson said.

He says the support from the community has been good, but could be better if more members of the community were aware of the group and its activities.

"The group got started at a time when there was no interaction in the communities and it was tense. I decided that with all the violence we still had to have something positive," says Tomilinson, who is also part of the Violence Prevention Alliance and the Peace Management Initiative.