Born November 24, 1974 in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad, Machel Montano is not only one of the Caribbean's youngest performers, but one of its most successful. With his unique blend of soca and dancehall, and sensual stage persona, he has risen to the upper class of Caribbean music.
Machel’s talent has been obvious since childhood. When his parents heard him singing with the accompaniment of his brother on the guitar, they sent him for vocal lessons. His career began at age seven and by age nine, he was chosen to represent the music school at the Junior Calypso Monarch Contest and had formed his band Pranasonic Express, later renamed Xtatik, in 1984. He released his debut album, “Too Young To Soca”, two years later. It was an instant hit which earned rave reviews and standing ovations at live performances.
One of Machel’s earliest and greatest achievements was his May, 1984 appearance at Madison Square Garden in The Felt Forum in New York City at the age of 10. He was billed as a support act for the Mighty Sparrow and other top calypsonians. In April of 1986, the young performer appeared on the popular television show, Star Search, bringing soca music to US national television. The next year, Machel took 2nd place in the Trinidad & Tobago National Song Writer’s Festival with his song, “Dream Girl.” In 1987, at the age of 12, he was the winner of the Caribbean Song Festival held in Barbados. He was the first Trinidadian and youngest to ever win this prestigious contest.
Machel Montano was a teenage calypso prodigy when he discovered something that would horrify any young person: ‘he was so not cool’. He came to that unfortunate realization after his first performances at a popular nightclub in his native Trinidad and Tobago in the late 1980s. While the crowd was rapt by other acts that covered hip-hop, R&B and reggae songs, they dismissed his homegrown tunes as old people’s music. “I was the butt of the joke,” Machel said, adding that people “would turn their back and walk off, and I wouldn’t be getting the girls.” “Fellas who were lip-syncing would be getting all the girls,” he said. “I was like, wait, but something’s wrong here.”
The experience started him on a mission; he began to blend sounds from around the world with his home island’s traditional music. The result was a high-octane brand of soca (soul of calypso). Soca is generally a more up-tempo, rhythmical, pop-sounding version of calypso that originated in the mid-1970s with Ras Shorty I, who blended in Afro and Indian beats to create the sound. He said, “I immediately felt my purpose was to make this music young, make it successful, make it attractive to the younger audience, and make it hip.”
Machel Montano’s efforts to take soca music worldwide and be a successful artist are recognized by the numerous awards he has earned. At the 7th Annual Copyright Organization of Trinidad & Tobago (COTT) Awards, Machel received the awards for Song Writer of the Year 2004/2005 and Song of the Year 2004/2005 for “Madder Than That”. Also in 2005, he attended the 3rd Annual International Soca Awards – in Trinidad and received awards for: Male Soca Performer of the Year, Soca Song Writer of the Year, Overall Male Soca Performer of the Year, Soca Artiste Album/CD of the Year for “The Xtatik Experience”, Overall Soca Band of the Year; and Soca Video of the Year for “You”.
In 2008, Machel was awarded the Bob Marley Award Entertainer of the Year 2007, Best Calypso/Soca entertainer 2007, and named the Most Outstanding Stage Personality at the International Reggae and World Music Awards at the historic Apollo Theatre in New York. That year also found Machel receiving an award at the 1st Annual BET J Virtual Awards for Best Caribbean Artiste of the Year. Other awards were bestowed upon Machel in 2008 at the Soca News Awards in the UK.
In 2009, Machel’s released his album, “Heavenly Drum.” The album had a fresh sound and included songs like “Mesmerize”, “Fly Away”, “Pray” and many more. Some of the more popular songs were premiered at the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival which included the rollicking rhythms of “Push Bumpers”, “Block to Block” and “Won’t Stop”. He also launched a children’s book entitled “Boy Boy and the Magic Drum” which served as a map to his first ever Carnival Childrens Show/Musical.
In January 2010, Machel became the first soca artist to attain a headlining slot at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival. At the 2010 Road March Competition, Machel placed 3rd with the song “No Behaviour”. On May 2, 2010 he made history as the only two-time recipient (2008) of The Bob Marley Award for Entertainer of the Year at Martins International Reggae and World Music Awards held in Queens, New York. In May, 2010, Machel, as special guest artist for the U.S. shows, embarked on a 5-week tour with Pitbull on his Mr. Worldwide Carnival tour.
In 2011, he emerged the Power Soca Monarch Champion 2k11 and also captured the price for best presentation. The climax was his victory in the Road March. His song “Advantage” was the most played song to cross the stage on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.
His 35th album” The Return” contains 12 tracks with hits like “Bend Over, So High A.O.A, Advantage, Hard Wuk” and many more. In May 2011, at the 30th Anniversary of IRAWMA, held in Port of Spain, Machel secured six (6) awards: Most Outstanding Stage Personality, Best Male Calypso/Soca Entertainer, Best Caribbean Entertainer, Most Outstanding Show Band, Best Soca Band and The King of Soca Award.
While Machel’s achievements are abundant and his fan base continues to grow, his behaviour does not always sit well with everyone. Calypso purists say that his performances and music are overly sexual and that he has added to the decline of the days when soca and calypso songs told stories. He faced criminal charges of assault and obscene language stemming from an altercation at a nightclub in Trinidad four years ago that started, he has said, when a woman made unwanted advances toward him. After not performing in Soca Monarch for about a decade and a half, Machel Montano returned after the government raised the prize money to TTD$2 million. He won, but many fans and some in the news media said that Iwer George, who finished second, should have won. Critics said Machel’s cozy relationship with the new prime minister and her cabinet worked to his advantage. In the song he performed, he thanked the government for changes it made to Carnival. “A lot of them would like to say that was playing politics,” he said, “I think that was playing intelligent.”
Although some of his antics may not be commendable, his contribution to soca music is
immeasurable. Simon Baptiste, whose company, Question Mark Entertainment, manages several Caribbean musicians (though not Mr. Montano) said “No one can argue the fact that, as an entertainer, he’s done more for Trinidad and Tobago than anyone has done for Trinidad and Tobago in the last 15 to 20 years. You put him on any stage anywhere in the world and he knows how to tap into that particular environment and change it for his benefit.”
Machel is very clear about what he wants to achieve. “At the end of the day I have three main objectives: my main objective is to wake up every day and make music reflecting the highest expression of who I am and I take it to the corners of the globe. “The wider objective is to encourage cultural exchange and engagement. Creating harmony among different peoples, while empowering individuals.”
Machel is constantly working toward his mission of successfully ushering soca into the realm of mainstream music. Due to soca’s crossover appeal, Machel states, “We want to use or experience to take soca international,” he says. “…I have been pushing the envelope, trying to revolutionize soca, trying to improve its quality. It is very difficult to bring this music to the mainstream and at the same time stay grounded at home but we have created a sound that we believe is palatable to all markets and can play on the radio in rotation with other popular songs. That is a dream I have always had and something I look forward to achieving.”
