Freetown Collective’s Take Me Home captures Caribbean identity

Freetown Collective, the genre-blending musical force from Trinidad and Tobago, has struck an emotional chord with audiences through its recent release, Take Me Home.

Take Me Home is a personal confession and cultural statement, intertwining themes of homecoming, nostalgia, and self-discovery. The track will resonate with anyone who has ever felt distant from the places or people that define their sense of home, said a media release.

Since its release in December 2024, Take Me Home has steadily risen, earning a spot on the Apple Music Top 100 (TT) and now sitting at number 42.

Muhammad Muwakil, co-founder and lead vocalist of Freetown Collective, believes in the transformative power of music, saying, “I think there is a certain part of the soul that has to get stirred when it hears music. We have to constantly have songs and art that remind us of how beautiful this place is. Yes, we need to be told about all the ills of society, but it is the artiste’s job to create some level of balance where there is none.”

This passion for storytelling and cultural preservation has also driven Muwakil to take on a new challenge – competing in the Young Kings Competition for the first time. As a finalist, he's determined to share Take Me Home with all who are willing to listen, the release said.

“This is a beautiful and amazing twin-island republic and sometimes the news can be so overwhelming,” Muwakil said. “There are people who look and think that the whole of Trinidad is just a mess, and that is such an incorrect thing to say at any point.”

Freetown Collective’s commitment to thought-provoking storytelling extends beyond music to its flagship event, Welcome to Freetown (WTF) 2025, on February 23.

This year’s edition embraces the iconic jab jab, a Carnival character symbolising resistance, resilience, and cultural pride. The 2025 event represents a continuation of Freetown Collective’s mission to merge cultural celebration with sustainability.

In partnership with the British Council through its Caribbean and Latin America-focused Circular Culture programme, Welcome to Freetown aims to re-imagine how Carnival is experienced, encouraging a more conscientious approach to the ways we interact with TT’s rich heritage, the release said.

Co-founder Lou Lyons reflects on the significance of this year’s theme: “There are many elements of the Jab Jab that reflect aspects of our collective consciousness – things we may take for granted but which define us deeply.”

Guest performers for Welcome to Freetown are Mical Teja, Coutain, College Boy Jesse and Preedy, with a special guest appearance by the legendary David Michael Rudder.

Freetown Collective promises an unforgettable experience, fusing music, culture, art and sustainability in one groundbreaking event.

About Freetown Collective

Freetown Collective aims to redefine Caribbean music, one electrifying performance at a time. This six-piece powerhouse blends the soul of calypso with the energy of urban pop, creating a sound that is both deeply rooted and undeniably global.

Its breakout hit, Good Swimma, was reimagined as Believer by Major Lazer and Showtek, earning Gold and Platinum Certification and amassing 40 million+ views on YouTube.

The group followed up with another explosive collaboration, Amen, cementing its place on the international stage. Its debut album, Born in Darkness (2018), was met with critical acclaim, while the single Feel The Love, with DJ Private Ryan, dominated Apple Music’s Top 100 (TT) for six consecutive weeks in 2020.

In 2022, the band continued pushing boundaries with World on Fire, featuring soca superstars DJ Private Ryan and Patrice Roberts, and in 2023 created Mas with Mical Teja.

Freetown Collective’s impact extends far beyond the studio. Over the past two years, the band has toured Canada, London, and Japan.

It sold out its own headline shows in London in 2023 and 2024, proving its international draw, and can boast of opening for reggae icons UB40 in 2023. Freetown'sglobal trajectory reached new heights with a career-defining performance at the legendary Glastonbury Festival in 2024.