Anguished over the racial tension and rampant crime throughout Trinbago, rapso artiste Karega Mandela composed a song pleading with the people to turn things around by simply loving each other. The song titled, "Spread De Love" was composed by Mandela and produced by Omari Ashby at the NexRise Studios, Jerningham Avenue, Belmont.

"I am looking forward to performing this song in the tent and events. Even Dr Roy Cape called me to compliment me on the song, which he said is excellent. I am saying in the song that in spite of how bad things are we have to keep the love amongst ourselves. I am very saddened over the crime and how the politicians are driving a wedge of hate between us using race.

"All ah we grow up together in this place, Indian, African, Chinese and we have always had a love going. We can't let the politicians come and mash that up just so. This song is about having hope for a better nation and us as one people loving each other and spreading that love throughout the twin island and the world," Mandela said.

Mandela said that along with Ashby who built the song and produced, Curtis Lewis did the horn arrangements and played. Dean Williams performed guitar on the song also. Mandela said he and Ashby will be working on recording a complete album collection to be released some time this year. He said there was a rush to complete the CD for this Carnival because he and Ashby want to take their time and craft an excellent collection of music.

"Omari always saying let we do an album. But we are not rushing anything. Omari has his studio and whenever the vibes take us, we do a thing. I real like Omari's vibes because he just want to make good music and not on doing music for any season. The year gone was very hectic for me, travelling to perform on the college circuit in the US and other places. I am looking forward to another hectic schedule this year too," Mandela said.

Mandela is originally from Blanchisseuse and has always had a passion for poetry. As a youth Mandela was involved in Best Village where he also developed a liking for music and drama. In 1975 he moved to Port of Spain to attend trade school and his love for the arts and music led him to a then popular DJ sound system known as the Blockmasters Crew in Tunapuna. Here he met Lutalo "Brother Resistance" Masimba who was a black-conscious youth who also had a passion for poetry and music.

The two struck up a friendship that continues to the present and Mandela joined Masimba at a fledgling band he was leading at the time, the Network Riddem Band. Masimba was also at the time one of the pioneers of an art form known as rapso, which is a hybrid of calypso and defined by rapso artistes as the rhythm of the word in the word. Mandela joined the band as a percussionist and backing vocalist.

By 1980 Mandela was composing and performing on the frontline alongside Masimba. He did his first recording in 1988, "Free Up Africa", which has become one of the classics of rapso. He released "Never Surrender" in 1991 and "No Security" the following year, both songs also being among the most popular rapso pieces ever.

Mandela continues to be a part of the Netwrok Riddem Band and is also serving as the Public Relations Officer of the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation. He tours annually with the band and as a solo artiste and over the years has performed in Connecticut at the One Arts Festival where he opened for Roberta Flack, the Midem International Music Expo in France, Popkomm in Germany and the First International Dub Poetry Festival in Toronto.