Band overcomes disability

BEING impaired is not an excuse from having a successful life and achieving one’s goal.
A group of partially and fully blind people who call themselves the White Cane Band live by this principle.
The group was invited to perform at the launch of the Friends Foundation “Follow your dream” initiative on Friday.
They were originally from the St John Centre for the Blind and they named their group after the white cane often used by the blind as a guide.
Manager Jay Muru said she realised that there were good singers in the group so she helped them form a band.
She said they left the centre and had performed at various events as part of their fundraising activities to attend the Kenu and Kundu Festival in Alotau, Milne Bay, in November.
The group comprises five members Michelle Muru and Maggie Thomas, who are the vocalists, Dona Ou on bass guitar, Simon Kwalahu, lead guitarist and Kaman Wasub on the keyboard.
Muru said they were invited two years ago to attend the festival in Alotau but they were not able to attend.
“This time they decided to go and had started raising funds,” she said.
“The group does not have a manager so I stepped in to assist because my daughter Michelle is part of the group.”
Upon the invitation of the Friends Foundation, they performed a few songs, both local and international, to entertain the guests who turned up for the event.
Muru said they had been performing at events and venues in the city to raise funds for their trip to Alotau.