Montreaux Jazz Festival
Caux Palace, Montreaux Jazz Festival, Switzerland
On 18th July 2014 a young up and coming band from Wythenshawe, A well known Rap Artiste from Moss Side and a full crew of technical students from Manchester College went to Switzerland.
The occasion – A royal outing, an experiment; a grand adventure for a local enterprise called Music for Cities.
8.00pm, Montreaux Jazz Festival, Caux Palace, Main Stage. The lighting system kicks in, through the haze and bright strobe, Zee Major, young Rap Artiste takes to the stage.
The show is on!
The first beats of urban rock music strike up and Zee is a whirlwind of light, sound and energy, flying round the stage, the crowd are soon forced on to their feet swaying and rocking to the infectious rhythm of Zee Major, Urban Poet, sound miester, beat enthusiast. The crowd are totally caught in Zee’s magical musical web.
A truly fantastic set, the beats die down as the applause rises. As triumphant warrior Zee walks off the stage, handing over his new found empire to the Wythenshawe kids; rapturous applause.
Just like their predecessor the band burst into their set with high octane and a blaze of light…Rapid Beats, Fast Guitar, Thumping Bass… Two things in obvious abundance – ROCK and ROLL!…..
For most of the day the young techies had been busy building the stage, rigging a huge and complex lighting system, connecting the sound board, wiring amps; connecting the system to an oversized PA that every so often would roar like a lion as young students checked the system. No small task. No simple task.
The stage was set with efficiency, with happy banter, with enthusiasm. The stage was set just like any professional stage, constructed by young stage riggers from right across Manchester – professionally done!
The show was formidable. Excellent music. Brilliant sound. Exciting Light sequences. All working together seamlessly to produce a musical light and sound spectacular, a massive show, a fantastic night. One by one the young band walked off stage leaving just the singer. The lights dimmed…
The crowd burst into applause, clapping loudly, shouts of More … More, yells of Encore, feet stomping… A triumph!
Let’s read through that again…
Moss Side is South Manchester. Wythenshawe is the southern most tip of Manchester. Two areas notorious for young hostile street gangs. Read any of the tabloids, if you want to know were the epicentre of gang culture is – look no further! South Manchester is gang land capital. Mind you which inner city area isn’t these days – just that Manchester seemed to pioneer the youth gang in an attempt to claim it as its own. Point to any deprived inner city area in the UK today and I will show you fear, hostility, aggression and violence as almost permanent fixtures, youth gangs that rule, gun and knife crime just a part of growing up. Kids living on these estates are socialised from very early age into exactly how gang culture works; the hierarchy, the structure, the leaders.
To look at someone ‘funny’ is to risk a beating. To ‘disrespect’ a known gang member is to risk death.
As simple as that.
Let’s look at the techies. Young kids from North Manchester, Moston, Blackley. Kids from Rochdale and the Langley Estates – all areas with matching cultures, identical gang problems – no different from their South Manchester cousins, same fear, same violence, same aggression, same hopelessness, same despair… A mosaic of ugliness. High crime. High unemployment, depression and the low self esteem of whole neighbourhoods. Inner City UK.
The young techies, the young Rap Artiste, the band from Wythenshawe ALL drawn from this environment; this background; this culture; this way of life.
So what happened in Caux?
Was it a miracle?
Young boys and girls from, on the face of it, fiercely opposing areas of a city well known for street gang culture.
Most likely, if not gang members themselves these young people would almost certainly have relatives; close friends who would be members of a youth street gang.
This particular group of young people however, came together; worked as a team, built a stage, rigged lights, connected sound boards
… and then went on to perform one of the BEST gigs I have ever seen!
Valuable Team work, Bridge building, Comradeship, lifelong friendship and relationships forged in the space of three days.
Love; Peace and Harmony. Fruits of the Spirit. One Love, as Bob Marley said.
Music for Cities has been described as “…Probably the most maverick social enterprise in the country”. (Johnny Beardsall, Daily Telegraph)
“Radical” (David Cameron, ex-Prime Minister)
…But radical just means ‘getting to the root of the problem’. And that’s what we intend to do. Get to the root of the problem – not paint and decorate the problem and frame it in a more presentable or acceptable way, No No No – Solve the problem!
Music for Cities “…turns youth gang culture in to positive social enterprise…”
We’ve done it in Manchester.
We’ve done it in Caux.
It may be a miracle but it’s also something – a formula – that we can write down and explain and do again and again and again.
Unusual Venues
Unlikely Colaborations
Amazing Concerts.
We are looking for partner organisations that can help us take Music for Cities to EVERY place in need; in want; that’s hurting. Healing our inner cities.
Yes to Gangs! Gangs of musicians; Gangs of Rap Artistes, Gangs of Light Riggers, Gangs of Techies, Gangs of Students…
Music for Cities.
- Please get in touch if you:
- Have a venue to host one of our live events
- Have connections in the music industry
- Have business, music or event experience
- Would like to invest in our mission to raise aspirations of young people in our inner city areas and heal wounds.
- Would like to learn more or just have a friendly chat
“Music creates an audience
Music delivers a message
Music is powerful
Music is emotional
Let us tap into this amazing positive energy.”