C Sharp - Contributed

Today, the Seaforth High School community will have more than a meal around the customary noon lunchtime hour.

They will be served an hour of music by C Sharp Band between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., the concert timed to give students on both the morning and afternoon shifts a taste of the songs.

Hugh Hoilett, who takes care of C Sharp's logistical and publicity needs, told The STAR that the idea for the concert was broached by the band, and Seaforth High's principal was enthusiastic about the idea.

popular singles

It is not the first time that C Sharp, which released their debut album What a Day in January 2006 and counts What's the Matter With the World among their more recent popular singles, has performed at a high school. And it will not be the last.

Hoilett told The STAR that the band has performed at Holy Family High (Duane Stephenson, Tarrus Riley and Dean Fraser making that trip as well) and also did a recent lunch hour concert at the Institute of Jamaica, which students from six or seven schools attended. They plan to play at a number of Kingston schools early in 2010, interspersing those concerts with dates at more St Thomas schools.

Hoilett points out that this is totally a C Sharp initiative, as for over a year, efforts to secure sponsorship have been unsuccessful.

a safer Jamaica

"We're gearing towards building a safer Jamaica," Hoilett said. This includes addressing violence and sexual behaviour. He points out that "Seaforth has been blessed. They have not experienced any major violence at the school recently. We thought it was good to get in there at this time".

The musical fare will be varied, with C Sharp's music at the heart of it all. "When we go into a school, we do a lot of C Sharp music to show people there is an alternative in music. We do covers to get people involved, as well as play music they might not hear regularly," he said.

It is all "music that is clean and friendly", the covers often including material from Bob Marley, Dennis Brown and Tarrus Riley.

The songs that C Sharp is recording for Christmas are 'clean and friendly' too, We Three Kings included. The intention is to be "joyful, keep the people in a happy mood" and Hoilett said these are instrumentals, which C Sharp was known for originally, with harmony vocals from their lead singer.

"It is going to have the Jamaican flavour, but it is also going to have the world beat. We are trying to appeal to as many markets internationally as possible," Hoilett said.