Introducing Critical Mas: A Powerful New Music Collective

About the Music

It’s part dancehall, part Afrobeats, with an ominous jazz riff and powerful lyrics that decry the way poverty and inequality produce criminals from citizens: “Born a Criminal,” by a Trinidadian collective of formerly incarcerated artists called Critical Mas—in collaboration with renowned jazz musician Etienne Charles—is poised to take airwaves by storm.

Background and Inspiration

The song is set to be released on September 20, with an NYC listening session event on September 12 at Doux Nightclub and one in Port of Spain, Trinidad, at The Burg on September 21, the song—produced by Rheon Elbourne, credited as the inventor of “Trinibad” music, akin to Jamaican dancehall—was originally written by group member Friday as a calypso tune back in 2010 when he was incarcerated in Trinidad’s youth detention center. Friday won the People’s Choice Award with “Born a Criminal”—but never thought it would transform years later to become part of something much bigger than music.

The Collective and Its Mission

Critical Mas represents the first time a group of people impacted by the devastatingly inefficient justice system in Trinidad and Tobago have been given an artistic platform with which to make a change. Such change is desperately needed in a country ranked in 2023 as having the sixth-highest homicide rate in the world, with gun violence, drug trafficking, and its ripple effects drivers of this abysmal situation. At the same time, the country’s prison population keeps expanding—with no ameliorative effect on crime rates—and the average wait for trial hovers at six years, leaving thousands of legally innocent people behind bars for more than a decade while the wheels of justice churn slowly, if at all.

Members and Their Stories

One of these people was Critical Mas member Nicholas Khan, who waited 11 years for trial and eventually pled guilty out of desperation. Khan, who entered prison in Trinidad at 17 years old with no literacy skills, learned to read in prison; inspired by the work of Tupac Shakur, he found passion for poetry and published two books from behind bars. Khan’s spoken-word brilliance is on display in several upcoming releases by Critical Mas, including “Death Around the Corner.”

Another member of Critical Mas is the multitalented Romel Lezama, also known as Papa Mel. While incarcerated for a decade at Trinidad’s Youth Training and Rehabilitation Centre (YTRC), he was a nine-time prisons calypso monarch who made history by becoming the first incarcerated person to qualify for a National Calypso Monarch semi-final. Freed less than a year ago, Lezama is also a boxer for the TT Amateur Boxing Association and a drummer in the Prime Minister’s Best Village competition. His single “Prison to Palace” will be Critical Mas’s next release.

The Incarceration Nations Network

Critical Mas is housed under the umbrella of Incarceration Nations Network, a global prison reform organization helmed by well-known writer, professor and activist Dr. Baz Dreisinger. It all began when Dr. Baz and Etienne Charles began scheming up justice collaborations in Trinidad on the heels of the publication of her best-selling book Incarceration Nations and the debut of his landmark 2022 production San Juan Hill: A New York Story, which marked the reopening of David Geffen Hall at New York’s Lincoln Center. Performed by Etienne Charles & Creole Soul and the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Music Director Jaap van Zweden.

Upcoming Events and Tours

An upcoming Carnival season tour will bring Critical Mas to schools, concerts and community spaces like pan yards, where the group will both perform and engage in dialogue about justice and prisons. When engaging with schools during the tours, Critical Mas will use art and multimedia platforms to promote the discussion with youth, who are the most impacted by community harm, lack of safety and the crisis of prisons in TnT.

Conclusion

Critical Mas is a powerful new music collective that is poised to make a significant impact on the world. With its unique blend of dancehall, Afrobeats, and jazz, the group is taking the music industry by storm. But Critical Mas is more than just a group of talented musicians – it’s a platform for people with lived experience of the justice system to share their stories and advocate for change. As the group continues to grow and evolve, it’s clear that Critical Mas will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come.

FAQs

Q: What is Critical Mas?

A: Critical Mas is a Trinidadian collective of formerly incarcerated artists who are using their music to advocate for change and reform in the justice system.

Q: What kind of music does Critical Mas make?

A: Critical Mas makes a unique blend of dancehall, Afrobeats, and jazz, with powerful lyrics that decry the way poverty and inequality produce criminals from citizens.

Q: Who is behind Critical Mas?

A: Critical Mas is housed under the umbrella of Incarceration Nations Network, a global prison reform organization helmed by well-known writer, professor and activist Dr. Baz Dreisinger, and renowned jazz musician Etienne Charles.

Q: What is the mission of Critical Mas?

A: The mission of Critical Mas is to provide a platform for people with lived experience of the justice system to share their stories and advocate for change, and to use their music to promote justice and reform in Trinidad and Tobago and around the world.