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The Jamaica Gleaner Highlights the Jamaican Music Scene's Support of Autism in Jamaica!

Posted by maia chung on July 30, 2010 at 7:57pm
Artiste supports autism causePublished: Thursday | July 29, 2010 1 Comment and 0 ReactionsMel Cooke, Gleaner WriterOrlando 'Highya Ziya' Bryan has done several recordings, released and unreleased, before Guide and Protect. However, it is that song, recorded at John Bigs studio and accompanied by a video, which he seems most enthusiastic about - and with good cause.It is specifically about autism, Highya Ziya advising:"Guide and protect the disabled onesSeek them a helping handFor the purpose that they come to doMight help me and you""Maia Chung (who created Jamaica's first autism foundation) is a lady who I have seen for a very long time, from she was working on CVM. I like how she reach out; she is a humanitarian," he said.Bryan pointed out that Chung reached out in a situation where she could have retreated into herself, as "sometimes when you have a kid like that it bother you, you want to focus on yourself, to what you are going through. Those children take time".Musical interpretationHighya Ziya met Chung in 2008 and, "Me start reason with her from there". He says she told him he has a good voice and encouraged him to do a song about autism. "And I just put the song to reality," he said. It was written along with Mark Writer.He said he is also a member of the foundation.In a separate interview, Chung said the foundation generally encourages people to volunteer in their area of specialisation. In Highya Ziya's case she said they needed a song, as "we want everyone to know what life is like for the disabled person". She wanted a song that would be like an anthem for the disabled and is happy with Guide and Protect."It has been the musical interpretation of our ideology," she said.Some promotional push went into the song last year and, although it has not yet been released commercially, Bryan says people have been asking where they can get copies.Highya Ziya claims that he is the first artiste to do a song of that nature and also shoot a video for it. That video was shot at the Mona Rehab, the Abilities Foundation and in Trench Town, near Culture Yard.Reach out to themWith those locations, the video has moved beyond autism to encompass other conditions and Highya Ziya says when he was doing the video "by just observing the disabled ones and reasoning with them, telling them we were going to reach out to them with the video, it got them excited to know someone reach out to them. They are great people. Many of them are athletes who go to Olympics and they don't get that justice".He said being among them "is a joy, the calm and the humility them show me, it make me feel calmer and go deeper into myself. Sometimes them more dedicated to you, the love them show you, then other people".Chung emphasises that all the persons who worked on and participated in the video - Slingshot directed, Redface handled the editing and Asha co-produced along with herself and Highya Ziya - were volunteers."It's all a culmination of showing there is something among Jamaicans to be 'bigged up'. We give, we care, it's not all about flash," she said.Now Highya Ziya wants to follow up with another song, Care For The Children, which addresses another issue."You hear about so many kids missing, me just want to reach out," Highya Ziya said."We all in the society need to guide and protect the weaker," Chung said.Share |
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