From Bars to Beats: New Bell Prison's Underground Music Empire

Inmates consolidating a makeshift music studio at New Bell
The courtyard of New Bell’s prison, where inmates gather to record music and “dance” out their stories.

New Bell – a notorious prison in Douala – operates like a city within a city. Inmates run their own taxis, act as on‑site police, and trade goods in a bustling market that fills the cold concrete corridors with the smell of fried cassava and pastry.

Against that backdrop, a visionary trio turned the prison into a creative hub: Jail Time Records. Founded in 2018 by former prisoner Steve Happi and artist Dione Roach, the label supplies a cramped studio, a solitary computer, and a chance for inmates to turn confession into rhythm.

Empereur, a 10‑year‑term inmate who once commanded a street gang, has racked up 24,000 YouTube views on his prison‑shot track “Sa Ngando.” His video, filmed entirely inside the prison, showcases the raw energy of inmates that contradict their cramped reality.

The studio’s first major release, Jail Time Vol 1, sold worldwide, with profits shared between artists and reinvested into the label. It earned a spotlight at the Tribeca Film Festival — the documentary about the prison’s artistic movement won three awards, including Best Feature.

Crucial to the project’s impact is parental support. The head of the prison attended the 2023 concert in the courtyard and danced alongside the performers, breaking the perceived divide. The program now reaches the women’s wing, and a satellite studio opened in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, exactly 1,600 km away.

Despite these victories, New Bell remains a harsh environment: overcrowded, unsanitary, and prone to violence. Human Rights Watch reported 4,700 inmates inside a space designed for about 1,200, with cholera killing at least six prisoners. Yet under Happi’s leadership, music has become a “lantern for a brighter future.” He says: “They feel now important – they feel like they have a place in society.”

The story ends with a powerful tribute. In the documentary’s final sequence, a montage honors six prisoners who died during the project’s run, reminding the audience that the music’s beat carries a deeper resonance of hope and loss.

For more on transformative prison arts across Africa, visit BBCAfrica.com.