AS TOLD TO BC PIRES

Because Trini to the Bone is an individual feature, all six members of Freetown Collective will appear one by one starting with Lou Lyons on June 30and ending with Muhammad Muwakil on July 4.

My name is Tishanna Williams and I am one-sixth of Freetown Collective and one-third of the supporting vocalists, Trinity.

I am from the east! Arouca, Trinidad. West Indies. Born and raised in Five Rivers.

Moved to the west maybe five, six years now. Feels like just the other day.

I have my Freetown family and I have a core family of my own, my mother Naomi De Gannes, my grandmother Beryl Nelson and my daddy Raymond Williams.

But not a husband and children kind of family.

I have nine godchildren I love very much.

To me, blood could form. I have almost a curated family of friends I consider blood, but I’m not naming anybody because it could get tricky. People go vex: “You ent name me!”

I am definitely not in a relationship and I say that firmly. Because I’m sure.

When I left home, I wasn’t in one and I haven’t got in one since.

So chances are I am not in a relationship.

Loyalty is very, very big to me.

I went to El Dorado Senior Comprehensive! I’m (proud) I went to a compri! People see you in a band like Freetown, moving round the west and they assume you went to a convent. Or another “prestige” school.

But, no, I went to a compri. I come from nothing.

I also act, write, do a lot of other things.

I was christened Catholic and did first communion, but my grandmother is a Baptist, so my foundation is Spiritual Baptist Orisha.

I also went to Islamic and Seventh Day religious instructions.

My grandmother’s best friend was a foot-washing, very devoted Hindu.

So I grew up intimately in many different religions, not just going to sit down in church, but taking part in a whole lot of rituals with love. That Hindu lady would take us on pilgrimages in her maxi.

To me, religions are all the same, just in a different way.

Of course I believe in God! I can handle “the Problem of Evil” because I know that balance is key.

And duality is necessary. Too much of any one thing will tip the scales.

My dad used to play drums in Best Village with Karatal and he has an amazing voice. We had a tapia house, made out of mud, and I remember sitting on the steps and singing “I believe the children are our future” (to learn about) breath control.

Not that he wanted me to become a singer, it was just something for us to do to spend time together.

Growing up in a Baptist church, there is a lot of music everywhere. Off-key music, on-key music. And they used to call spirits. So sound is a very big thing.

So sometimes on the stage I'll be doing my doptions and other kinds of rhythmic things with my voice.

I grew up with music, although I did not realise it. Until people started asking me questions like this.

My family has Grenadian roots on one side. Chinese on the other.

I appreciate all the basic music from heavy metal to pop to reggae to whatever.

Right now I love dancehall har