Students, musicians in Galway try to promote racial tolerance

Six Galway students have established a publishing initiative to give a voice to asylum-seekers, migrants, refugees and other "new Irish" in the city.

Called Tribes, the project has produced three books, which were published earlier this month. The MA students - Ciara Gaffney from Cavan, Deirdre Nolan from Clare, Lesley Doyle from Dublin, and Aoileann O'Donnell, Neasa McDonagh and Karen Lee, all from Galway - undertook the exercise as part of a thesis assignment during the MA in Literature and Publishing programme at NUI Galway this year.

Prof Kevin Barry of the university's English department supported the idea, which was proposed by a Galway-based writer, Rab Fulton.

Mr Fulton has worked on a voluntary basis with asylumseekers in Galway and is editor of Muc Mhor Dhubh, a monthly reflecting cultural diversity. He also helped to set up the Global Music Project, which provides a forum for Irish and African musicians every Monday in Galway's Java Cafe.

The six students edited copy, proof-read and were involved in all aspects of the production of the books: The Heron by Lesley Sargent, originally from Edinburgh; Man of Allah by Barkat Ali Masood, from Limerick; and Glorious Purple, a collection of poetry by Frances Joyce, who was brought up in England but has Irish roots.

The three titles are on sale in bookshops throughout the city, and in the new premises of the Galway One World Centre in Quay Street, at £2.99. Profits from sales will go to Asylum Seekers Group Ireland (Galway Branch) and the Roma Support Group. Two more books are to be published this year.

Meanwhile, tolerance, the benefits of multiculturalism and the legacy of the great reggae king, Bob Marley, are themes of a new single, The Future's in the Mix, just recorded by a Galway-based Irish-Jamaican reggae group, Highgrade Express, which includes Irish-Jamaican brothers Howard (25) and Brendan Evans (23). The song was produced by Furbophonic Records, studio and label of the Galway producer, Barry Duffy.

Born in Killala, Co Mayo, the brothers come from a family of four boys. Their parents, Joe and Kathleen, are Jamaican and Mayo Irish respect ively.

The boys were young when their parents moved to Jamaica. However, after Howard and Brendan finished college, they decided to come back to the west of Ireland. At that stage, both had developed their interest in music; in Jamaica, Brendan worked on his bass guitar, playing with Robbie Shakespeare and Sly Dunbar.

There are many types of reggae, but it is essentially hypnotic and therapeutic, they believe. They linked up with singer Ronan Lynch, who had lived in Texas and Mexico. They formed Sealion, a collective, and released an album, Spirit Live.

Then came Highgrade Express, with Barry Duffy of Furbophonic on drums. Two singles they recorded will form the basis of an album, and they have spent the last few weeks shooting a video in and around Galway. At one point, asylum-seekers living in the centre city were invited to come out and dance in Eyre Square.

Both brothers believe that racism is rooted in fear. "It is a case of overcoming the fear of what you don't know," Brendan says, admitting he has experienced racism here.

Highgrade Express can be contacted through Furbophonic Records at: furbophonic@eircom.net