MASS CARIB

Mass Carib is a subversion of the Catholic Latin Mass and, in its original iteration, tells the story of African enslavement and forced conversion to Christianity in the Caribbean, followed by attempted revolutions and the final arrival of the descendants to England as part of the ‘Windrush Generation’. More recent versions have been adapted to commemorate various significant events and anniversaries. At various points throughout the piece, the text is sung in English, French, Spanish, French Patois, Yoruba and Latin.

I wrote this in 1987/8, for the Albany Empire. It subsequently played at the Purcell Room (1988) and a number 1 national tour (1989).

More recently it has been performed for the London Mayor’s Festival in Trafalgar Square (2005), London Cultural Olympiad Launch at the Southbank (2007), 200th Anniversary of the abolishment of the Transatlantic Slave Trade at Greenwich Royal Naval College (2007), Nitro’s benefits for victims of the Haitian earthquake at Hackney Empire and Kings Place (2010 & 2011), 50th Anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago's Independence at Tricycle Theatre (2012).