Leaving the office late one night last week I was surprised to find myself stepping out into the middle of a music video. Some of our neighbors from Calle 4ta were shooting the video for Shadow’s new song, Dejalo Correr. The song talks about violence and its consequences, a pertinent theme for the young men of Calle 4ta who, as former gang members, have the experience-based wisdom to speak about violence and its negative impact on the community with some authority.
Among the locals in the cast and crew were Titi, Nico, G. Ducret, Alvin, Sombra, Pichuli and Javier. The guys seemed to be truly enjoying themselves pretending to be thieves, victims and opposing gang members; who knows, maybe we have some potential homegrown acting talent here in the Casco.
In addition to the music video, Nico says that they are working on starting another longer video that will also focus on the consequences of violence in the neighborhood. To see former gang members dedicate themselves to these videos makes me proud to be a part of the Casco revitalization process.
PD
