Youths of Majesty Gardens receive music-industry training

Contributed – Reverend Don McDowell supervises men during the outreach programme.

The Kingston 11 community of Majesty Gardens, was recently the beneficiary of a community-outreach programme, ‘The Business of Music,’ conducted by Reverend Don McDowell, CEO of Music Business Technology Trainers (MBTT), a local recording studio that offers professional training in various aspects of the music industry.

The programme targeted at-risk and vulnerable young men from the community, covered topics such as careers in music, copyright, rhythm building, entrepreneurship, and social-media marketing.

Rev McDowell and his team were hosted by Pastor David Chang and members of Majesty Gardens-based Majesty Transformation Fellowship Church, which offered their building for use.

The programme’s objective was primarily to provide music-industry aspirants of Majesty Gardens with an opportunity to access free training in basic skills using computer technology in music production and marketing. Many see music as a viable alternative to becoming involved in crime and violence, and, as such, have welcomed the opportunity to get formal training, free of cost from, MBTT.

Day one of the programme, saw more than 10 students and as word began to spread in the community, enthusiastic individuals turned up to participate.

Clearly motivated and in high spirits, one participant, a recently released ex-convict, who did 28 years in prison, remarked: “Already, I have benefited tremendously from this programme. I could not have paid for it, so I am very grateful for Pastor Don and his team giving of their time and expertise. I now feel as if I am on the path to somewhere, so give thanks.”

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Youths of Majesty Gardens receive music-industry training

Missing Mexico youths identified

23 August 2013 Last updated at 19:49 ET All of the missing are from the Tepito neighbourhood Mexican officials say they have identified five of 13 bodies found on Thursday as those of abducted youths.

Prosecutors said the other bodies found in a mass grave in a ranch east of Mexico City would be identified soon.

Twelve young people disappeared in May after visiting a bar in the capital. Surveillance footage showed some being led to cars outside the bar.

A friend said at the time that the motive was warfare between two rival drug-dealing gangs.

Assistant Attorney General Renato Sales said the badly decomposed remains were found in a mass grave covered with cement, lime and asbestos.

The youngsters disappeared three months ago after visiting the Heaven bar in the fashionable Zona Rosa entertainment district of Mexico City.

There was no obvious sign of force on the surveillance footage. The men who took them away were not masked and did not seem to be carrying weapons.

No clear motive has ever been established for their abduction, although it has been suggested that it may have been linked to rivalry between street gangs in the rough Tepito neighbourhood of Mexico City.

All of the missing are from Tepito, with three of them related to jailed crime bosses from the area.

An estimated 70,000 people have died in drug-related violence in Mexico over the past six years, much of it committed by powerful drug cartels.

The violence has mainly been concentrated in the northern states bordering the United States and in the west, with the capital largely spared.

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Missing Mexico youths identified