Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

Members of 'The Originals' in folk costume. - Contributed

NOT OFTEN can one find a group of people like The Originals who perform solely to help the 'needy'.

Group director Barbara Dixon describes the needy as those "not being able to help themselves financially".

"We put ourselves beyond our daily lives in an effort to help people. That is what I appreciate. It is not for self-gratification. I consider us not volunteers or angels, but somewhere in the mix. We are touching people's lives," said Devita Martin, who is one of the younger members of the group.

They have donated to Rusea's High School student Toni Hines, who suffered from thoracic scoliosis.

Singing for a cause

The group has been around for 10 years and now comprises 12 women who believe in singing for a cause. They are Natalie Rambeen, Charlene James-Devora, Dawn Brash, Roxanne McLean, Ramona McLean, Cornette Hunter, Hope Lindo, Sheree-Lee Brash, Arlene Richards and Alcia Riley.

Director Barbara Dixon and Dawn Brash are founding members. Dixon disclosed that other members of the group, including four men, left over the years because of migration, tertiary education and marriage.

The Originals perform poetry, song, dance and drama, which are all written and composed by Barbara Dixon, thereby giving the group their name. They also perform in Spanish and French, as Dixon and James-Devora were trained at the Venezuela Institute for Culture and Cooperation, while the others have basic knowledge in the languages.

Repertoire

We Come From Jamaica and Gimme Mi Mango are some of the folk songs that they have done, but they perform gospel as well. They have also done a play called Mooso's Dilemma, which tells the tale of a man who has two lovers and cannot give each enough attention.

In the many years they have been around, they have only performed at Portmore Missionary Church and the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts. Other venues in Trelawny, St Thomas and Manchester have since confirmed performance dates.

Hoping to bless lives

Dixon says they want to perform in more places as they want to be internationally recognised. Though it has been challenging for the group to balance family life and performing, Dixon hopes they will be able to bless the lives of more people.