FOR the first time since its inception in 2010, Freetown Collective has a keen interest in competing in this year’s International Soca Monarch competition.
In an interview with Sunday Newsday to promote their upcoming show Welcome to Freetown, on February 12, lead vocalist Muhammad Muwakil and lead guitarist and musical director Lou Lyons said competing in the competition this year is a move they are strongly considering.
Muwakil said, “I think it would be interesting, honestly. I mean, these things cost some money. So it might be an investment. But, beyond anything else, beyond the idea of winning it would be an interesting experiment.
“Not many people get the opportunity to be a part of those things. I think it'd be interesting to see what is it about, what it is really.
“We already relinquished the idea of winning it or not winning it. If we win it's great, if we don’t it’s okay. But there's something about these types of experiences; just to be there, to be in the midst of that...”
But for now, Mohammed said the focus is using the upcoming festival to create a space within the carnival to experience a particular depth of emotion.
Welcome to Freetown will be hosted at The Sound Forge, Christopher Samuel Drive, Port of Spain, from 5.30 to 8.30 pm. It's intended to be an immersive musical, family-friendly experience packed with local performances. There will be an interactive village, merchandise and food on sale along with games for children and other forms of entertainment.
Muwakil said, “We believe that there's so much room within the carnival for things other than just straight fete – come in, stand up, look at artists, buy some food, buy some drinks, have a good time. So we want to create a family-friendly environment, and the environment where we can come and do many different things and not just a fete.”
[caption id="attachment_997103" align="alignnone" width="759"] Freetown Collective lead guitarist Lou Lyons. -[/caption]
Tickets are available on islandetickets.com and We are Freetown on Instagram.
Lyons added the show will cater “to people's full range of emotions. So, you can come to an event and feel the intimacy of acoustics, feel contemplative, the meditative field to reflect” and release trauma caused by the covid19 pandemic.
The pandemic was a time of reflection and refocus for Freetown Collective. Lyons described it as a time the team pivoted.
“It also showed us what some of our advantages are,” he said adding, “We don't want to compete with the bacchanal, we want to complement it. So you could leave our show and still, you know climb up on the fence and through some waist.”
For this Carnival season Freetown Collective released Mas and Mighty People which has been getting positive public reviews.
The song, Mas, embodies the emotional attachment and connections of Carnival. According to Muwakil the fusion of the African drums and brass in the rhythm compliments the story of the power of Trinid
