Somewhere, a poet is writing a verse that people ought to hear, but in the meantime I’ll settle for the conscious, raging words of Trinidadian group, Freetown Collective.
Forget plain spoken words, they are messengers; delivering a message that people need to not only hear, but endorse (loudly). The injustices that so many of us witness and perhaps endure are fodder for these guys, and they articulate so beautifully how things are and should be.
But as you listen to them, which I did on Tuesday night last as Upscale Restaurant celebrated 9 years of open mic poetry, you get a sense that it is not just the system that needs changing; it’s us.
The serious commentaries aside, Freetown Collective also entertained with witty, comical pieces about life and love. To raise love is to say that their poetry is magical; the stuff most people dream of and pray about.
Muhammad Muwakil, whose voice is like a literary weapon battling to change this world, is the unassuming one in the group or rather tribe. His diminutive stature belies the power in his voice, and it is fair to say he led the tribe’s descent on a score of poetry enthusiasts at Upscale Restaurant earlier this week.
The name Freetown Collective is tied to the tribe’s roots in Trinidad and Tobago. Muhammad told The Scene that he grew up in an area called Freetown on the twin island, but he explained that the name means more.
“It’s about freeing yourself first then it was about freeing my neighbours, my community, my country…it’s about creating a free town in the mind of every single person,” Muhammad said.
Lou Lyons, another member of the collective, credits Muhammad with bringing the “tribe together”. He said Muhammad is a trailblazer in Trinidad and the Caribbean region, and was part of a new movement to revive spoken word poetry, in addition to producing positive music.
“We ended up sharing the same space to share our poems and it was just a natural progression from there… The group is just a few months old but we have been at this, separately for years,” Lou said. He has the air of authority in the group though he doesn’t project any sort of, “I’m in charge vibes”.
Muhammad said the tribe’s message is really simple; it is for people, particularly Caribbean people, to wake up and live up to their true potential. He said the region stands at the centre of the world, but is powerless and has been for too long.
“I say we’re at the centre because of all that has happened. Our history shows us where we have come from and it’s a bitter history… after all this time and all our triumphs we have nothing!” Muhammad said with some frustration in his voice.
This frustration is evident when he speaks about poverty, crime, child abuse, domestic violence and illiteracy; an index of problems that continue to define and harm progress in the region. Muhammad, like his Freetown Collective brothers have had enough and they are speaking out across Trinidad, the region and the wider word following a recent trip to London.
Muhammad believes that progress begins with every individual.
“If you’re a garbage man pickup the garbage properly, respect yourself, respect women… and be strong. This is not time for weakness, it’s time for us to be strong,” Muhammad added. His passion is raw and every time he performed on stage on Tuesday night people watching him couldn’t help but feel affected by the message.
Freetown Collective’s other member Keegan Maharaj believes their appeal lies in the strength of their craft. He noted that their music and poetry is influenced by “any and everything”. He said that they as they continue campaigning for change, they are also figuring out how to reach a younger audience and impact on their lives. He said that they hope to take spoken word poetry into schools and have it take root there because, “this is what children need to hear”.
Lou said they are aware that every time Freetown Collective takes a stage the messages flowing from their lips, “are a lot to digest”, but he said the important thing is that people are listening.
“Every step we seem to take is a further affirmation that something going on… A whole room of strangers who we don’t know embraced us tonight,” Muhammad said of the Upscale experience. But it was easy to understand why Guyanese loved them; their message is universal.
Muhammad was quick to point out that not everyone listens and or feels what they are saying. He said that some people are going to be turned off, largely because their truth is brutal truth. He noted that some people are seeking a different kind of entertainment and are sometimes not in for “serious messages”.
Freetown Collective is heading to the studio next to record music while at the same time strengthening their craft as spoken word artistes. Muhammad added that many of the music they are now producing “wanted out for some time now” so they are working on that.
When the group sang on Tuesday night the silence in the room was strange, and with their voices soaring Freetown Collective just swept the rug from right under us. Here was this amazing group of gifted artistes moving a room full of people with lyrics so beautiful and deep; it was tear-jerking.
And according to Muhammad they were blown away by the local talent onstage. “We are writers, writers on our bed, in our homes and we love what is happening with poetry now. We came to see the Guyanese performers and we were impressed… We love them!”
(ianaseales@yahoo.com)
