News Americas, New York, NY, Friday. September 13, 2024: Trinidadian music collective Very criticalcomprised of formerly incarcerated artists, will release its debut single “Born a Criminal” on September 20, 2024.
The song, written by band member Friday while incarcerated in a youth prison in Trinidad, is a powerful collaboration with renowned jazz musician Etienne Charles. It mixes dancehall, Afrobeats and an ominous jazz riff, with lyrics that highlight how poverty and inequality can turn citizens into criminals.
A listening event for “Born a Criminal” took place on September 12 at Doux Nightclub in New York City, before another event on September 21 at The Burg in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The song was produced by Rheon Elbourne, the creator of “Trinidad” genre, and was originally written in 2010 when Friday won a People’s Choice Award for the song while incarcerated.
Very critical is the first group of formerly incarcerated individuals in Trinidad and Tobago to use their artistic platform to push for justice reform in a country with one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Trinidad faces rampant gun violence and drug trafficking, and a deeply flawed justice system where the average wait for trial is six years, leaving thousands of prisoners without due process.
Band member Nicholas Khan, who spent 11 years in prison awaiting trial, found solace in poetry and now brings his spoken word talent to Very critical. Romel Lezama, another member, spent a decade at the Trinidad Youth Training and Rehabilitation Center (YTRC) and became the first incarcerated individual to qualify for a Calypso Monarch National semi-final. Lezama’s song “Prison in the Palace” will be the band’s next release.
Very critical is supported by the Incarceration Nations Network, a global prison reform organization, led by Dr. Baz Dreisinger, who co-founded the group with Etienne Charles. The project began in 2024 with art workshops for incarcerated and ex-incarcerated individuals in Trinidad, which grew into the formation of Very critical. The name reflects the group’s mission to reach a critical mass of voices advocating for change, paying homage to Trinidad’s cultural symbol of carnival, or but.
The band debuted at Charles’ Road march show at Queen’s Hall Performing Arts Center in February 2024, followed by another show in Port of Spain in April. They are now gearing up for a Carnival season tour that will bring them to schools, concerts and community spaces across Trinidad, using the arts to promote discussions on justice reform, particularly with young people.
Combining art and personal experience, Very critical is part of a growing movement, similar to those in the US, that seeks to use culture as a catalyst for justice reform. This approach has proven effective in changing public opinion on issues such as mass incarceration in the US and is now being implemented in Trinidad and Tobago.
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