Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
General => Entertainment & Culture Discussion => Topic started by: Socapro on February 23, 2011, 10:50:31 PM
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Just realise we have a thread for Nicki Minaj & others and don't have one for Machel!!
Big slip-up that has now been rectified.
Rachel Price interviews Machel Montano!
http://www.youtube.com/v/v0gnZnyBQdg
Nice interview!!
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Given the temperament and egos of the two people in that interview, I surprised slap and cuff eh pass before de it done.
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Women fight over Machel’s sweaty T-shirt
Published: Wed, 2011-02-23 18:29
http://guardian.co.tt/2011/02/23/women-fight-over-machel-s-sweaty-t-shirt (http://guardian.co.tt/2011/02/23/women-fight-over-machel-s-sweaty-t-shirt)
Emotions ran high in Woodford Square yesterday when two women found themselves at the centre of attention as they fought for ownership of a sweat-drenched T-shirt thrown into the crowd by soca star Machel Montano at bmobile’s lunchtime concert Soca in BSquare. Montano and his band HD were the main attraction at the free lunchtime concert. The soca superstar, at the end of his performance, removed his T-shirt and squeezed his sweat out of it. He then threw it into a crowd of screaming fans.
As the crowd started to leave the Square, two women were seen tugging at the T-shirt in an effort to claim it. The women walked over to the back entrance to the stage area where they continued their struggle, neither of them willing to let go of their prize. Onlookers gathered to watch the spectacle. Tears fell from one of the young women’s eyes as she offered to pay for the T-shirt. The other woman, who could be identified only as a vendor from Charlotte Street, said she would take the money, but kept on changing her mind as the crowd waited for the outcome.
The crowd both encouraged and jeered at the spectacle, with many suggesting that the women cut the T-shirt in two and share it. “We aren’t King Solomon...I am not cutting anything in two,” said one of the women. Security personnel shouted at the onlookers to clear the entrance and one of the women finally decided to let go. The concert, which started promptly at noon, was attended by the largest audience so far, with cricket star Brian Lara even putting in an appearance.
Fans screamed and waved as Machel performed both current and older hits, including his song Big Truck and his 2011 Road March contender Advantage. HD band members Patrice Roberts and Farmer Nappy gave seamless performances and HD dancer Brittany Duke demonstrated as Machel gave the crowd wining lessons. The concert was full of crowd-pleasing performances from Montano and HD, as well as defending soca monarchs Jason “JW” Williams and Ancil “Blaze” Isaac, Marvin Davis (Swappi) and Cassiano Sylvester (Cassi) who hit the stage to tremendous applause with his 2011 hit Town Ting.
(http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/event/Machel%20ringing%20shirt.png?1298516265)
:challenge:
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Given the temperament and egos of the two people in that interview, I surprised slap and cuff eh pass before de it done.
:rotfl:
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Women fight over Machel’s sweaty T-shirt
Published: Wed, 2011-02-23 18:29
http://guardian.co.tt/2011/02/23/women-fight-over-machel-s-sweaty-t-shirt (http://guardian.co.tt/2011/02/23/women-fight-over-machel-s-sweaty-t-shirt)
Emotions ran high in Woodford Square yesterday when two women found themselves at the centre of attention as they fought for ownership of a sweat-drenched T-shirt thrown into the crowd by soca star Machel Montano at bmobile’s lunchtime concert Soca in BSquare. Montano and his band HD were the main attraction at the free lunchtime concert. The soca superstar, at the end of his performance, removed his T-shirt and squeezed his sweat out of it. He then threw it into a crowd of screaming fans.
As the crowd started to leave the Square, two women were seen tugging at the T-shirt in an effort to claim it. The women walked over to the back entrance to the stage area where they continued their struggle, neither of them willing to let go of their prize. Onlookers gathered to watch the spectacle. Tears fell from one of the young women’s eyes as she offered to pay for the T-shirt. The other woman, who could be identified only as a vendor from Charlotte Street, said she would take the money, but kept on changing her mind as the crowd waited for the outcome.
The crowd both encouraged and jeered at the spectacle, with many suggesting that the women cut the T-shirt in two and share it. “We aren’t King Solomon...I am not cutting anything in two,” said one of the women. Security personnel shouted at the onlookers to clear the entrance and one of the women finally decided to let go. The concert, which started promptly at noon, was attended by the largest audience so far, with cricket star Brian Lara even putting in an appearance.
Fans screamed and waved as Machel performed both current and older hits, including his song Big Truck and his 2011 Road March contender Advantage. HD band members Patrice Roberts and Farmer Nappy gave seamless performances and HD dancer Brittany Duke demonstrated as Machel gave the crowd wining lessons. The concert was full of crowd-pleasing performances from Montano and HD, as well as defending soca monarchs Jason “JW” Williams and Ancil “Blaze” Isaac, Marvin Davis (Swappi) and Cassiano Sylvester (Cassi) who hit the stage to tremendous applause with his 2011 hit Town Ting.
(http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/event/Machel%20ringing%20shirt.png?1298516265)
:challenge:
Machel thrills Woodford Square
By Donstan Bonn
Story Created: Feb 24, 2011 at 3:27 PM ECT
Story Updated: Feb 24, 2011 at 3:27 PM ECT
Machel Montano and the HD Family thrilled a packed Woodford Square with their "Advantage Wednesday" performance, yesterday (February 23).
Swappi and Cassie were also impressive at the bmobile-sponsored "Soca in b Square" concert.
Here's the vid.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/carnival/video/Machel-thrills-Woodford-Square-116853018.html
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I contemplated starting a Machel thread with the sole purpose of posting my all time Machel favourites to cancel out "Advantage"......
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I contemplated starting a Machel thread with the sole purpose of posting my all time Machel favourites to cancel out "Advantage"......
I suspect u eh ike d song.
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(http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/event/Machel%20ringing%20shirt.png?1298516265)
Doh tell me is dat same jersey he squeezing out de sweat from he pelt in de crowd.
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I contemplated starting a Machel thread with the sole purpose of posting my all time Machel favourites to cancel out "Advantage"......
I suspect u eh ike d song.
What make you say dat?? ;D
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I contemplated starting a Machel thread with the sole purpose of posting my all time Machel favourites to cancel out "Advantage"......
I suspect u eh ike d song.
What make you say dat?? ;D
A wild guess
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De boy concert on now.....he streaming live here...
http://www.livestream.com/bpartofit?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=ui-play&utm_campaign=click-bait&utm_content=bpartofit (http://www.livestream.com/bpartofit?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=ui-play&utm_campaign=click-bait&utm_content=bpartofit)
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concert showing delayed on tv6 NOW
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Ok.....but I cyar wait up whole night to see that delayed....
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De boy concert on now.....he streaming live here...
http://www.livestream.com/bpartofit?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=ui-play&utm_campaign=click-bait&utm_content=bpartofit (http://www.livestream.com/bpartofit?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=ui-play&utm_campaign=click-bait&utm_content=bpartofit)
dat crowd over stush. is a wake dey in?
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http://www.youtube.com/v/OT1xBPQJ34Y
Machel real pushing Advantage boi!! Here he is making an appearance with Kes a couple days ago!!
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too much talkin machel
and what's with the damn accent ???
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fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/v/rGSnwIssu88
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Magnificent performace from HD et al last night. A few of my observations
1) The party had about 12 woman to one man in VIP at least. There were 2 long lines of women and one very short line for men just to enter the stadium
2) I din see no guntas where I was. I feel real safe even though it was real wild. people was just happy dred no stupidman vibes at all.
3) Kes was friggin awesome. Great performance by him. Excelellent vocals and energy real energy
4) The intermission between Kes and Machel was a bit long
5) machel have real vocal endurance.
6) The man musical repitoire is amazing
7) He paid tribute to Shel Shock, Way Rodriguez and Blazer Dan
8) He presented Calypso Rose and Sparrow with crowns as the King and Queen of Soca.
9) Sparrows voice was remarkably strong even though he had a stroke
10) The HD performers particually Patrice Roberts, Farmer Nappy and Peter C Lewis were very well received
11) I doh really like pitbull
12) Machel big up the Government about 7 times in the party. (We must thank the Government ....) He big up the AG ,Spalk and Jack too.
13) He working on a performance for Friday. He coming real good I feel.
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Machel is ah Bossssss and he prove it again last night, He's ah true entertainer...I think he killed it when Pitbull came on stage......He let Pitbull sing almost his whole album mean while Kes, Benji. Maximus Dan, Peter C, Rikki Jai, Walker, all sang one tunee.....De man make Rose cry on stage...Sparrow was real happy to meet Yoke and Lara... ;D I would like to get that show on DVD
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mean while Kes, Benji. Maximus Dan, Peter C, Rikki Jai, Walker, all sang one tunee.....De man make Rose cry on stage...Sparrow was real happy to meet Yoke and Lara... ;D I would like to get that show on DVD
wow!! all dat went on?!...people really get dey monies worth
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show was great...but like steups i wondering where he got the accent
bar was terrible tho..ran out of stag
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show was great...but like steups i wondering where he got the accent
bar was terrible tho..ran out of stag
NY u know it eh have enuff stag once u around
Jah 2 win d 2mill u have 2 sing d praisess of d PP.
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fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/v/rGSnwIssu88
Bunji cyah see way Machel pass, Bunji outta he league with this one. He forget when Machel had to save he (Bunji) own band launch from epic fail.
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fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/v/rGSnwIssu88
Bunji cyah see way Machel pass, Bunji outta he league with this one. He forget when Machel had to save he (Bunji) own band launch from epic fail.
Ah doh see noting wrong with dat...all dat in it...and if you think Machel is not playing into the politics, you better take ah good listen to Advantage ;D
Big Up!
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fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/v/rGSnwIssu88
Bunji cyah see way Machel pass, Bunji outta he league with this one. He forget when Machel had to save he (Bunji) own band launch from epic fail.
Ah doh see noting wrong with dat...all dat in it...and if you think Machel is not playing into the politics, you better take ah good listen to Advantage ;D
Big Up!
De man singing about the stage, and is this "Party" governemntthat build de stage back. So the man give thanks for the stage :devil:
If yuh tell meh that Machel is BMobile and Bunji, Fayeann and Destra is Digicel then ah go say ok. ;)
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De boy concert on now.....he streaming live here...
http://www.livestream.com/bpartofit?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=ui-play&utm_campaign=click-bait&utm_content=bpartofit (http://www.livestream.com/bpartofit?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=ui-play&utm_campaign=click-bait&utm_content=bpartofit)
dat crowd over stush. is a wake dey in?
well how much was the ticket
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De boy concert on now.....he streaming live here...
http://www.livestream.com/bpartofit?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=ui-play&utm_campaign=click-bait&utm_content=bpartofit (http://www.livestream.com/bpartofit?utm_source=lsplayer&utm_medium=ui-play&utm_campaign=click-bait&utm_content=bpartofit)
dat crowd over stush. is a wake dey in?
well how much was the ticket
450 VIP and it wasn't stush.
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AG BACKS MACHEL
By Andre Bagoo Thursday, March 3 2011
Machel Montano has Attorney General Anand Ramlogan’s vote. For the Soca Monarch competition, that is. Ramlogan on Tuesday night disclosed that he is enthusiastically backing the soca star to win the $2 million prize at tomorrow’s International Soca Monarch finals.
“I daresay, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr Montano would be the one to walk away with the $2 million prize offered by this Government,” Ramlogan said during Tuesday night’s sitting of the Senate. “I wish him the very best of luck. He certainly has my vote.”
Ramlogan’s somewhat surprising disclosure came one day after he was spotted, along with several other Cabinet members, attending Montano’s annual Carnival fete at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain on Monday night. The show ended early Tuesday morning.
Speaking during debate of legislation to increase the length of remand of prisoners between court appearances, Ramlogan explained that he was backing Montano because of what he described as the soca singer’s use of his celebrity status to send a message about respecting the elderly.
“Mr President you would have heard from the honourable Minister of National Security of the social programmes aimed at re-habilitation, at prevention, at restoration. I want to say, on that note, that last night I had the good fortune to attend Machel Montano’s concert,” Ramlogan said as he opened debate of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Remand) Bill. “There was a very moving moment when Machel Montano brought the calypso king and queen of the world, the Mighty Sparrow and Calypso Rose, on stage.”
Ramlogan recalled, “I remember cutting out pictures (of Sparrow and Rose) from the newspaper when I was in primary school and using flour and water to stick them in my social studies book. They were both honoured by Machel last night in front of almost 35,000 fans. And Calypso Rose broke down in tears. It was a most moving experience.
“I mention it really because what Mr Montano did in front of almost 40,000 people was to demonstrate respect for elders and to demonstrate a kind of caring and compassion that is sadly lacking in the youth of our society,” Ramlogan said.
“To the extent that Mr Montano was able to do that and to send a message as a superstar and a cultural icon. I salute Machel Montano for that gesture and for the powerful gesture it sends. He is indeed worthy of adulation and I hope that others will lead by example, will mentor and set an example for our youth.”
The Attorney General’s remarks triggered a flurry of picong in the Senate from the Opposition benches, with PNM Senator Fitzgerald Hinds leading the charge. He accused Ramlogan of sending a signal to the Soca Monarch judges by expressing his favourite openly.
“Mr Speaker this is Carnival season and the Attorney General indicated to us–and this is why he could barely keep his eyes open as he was making his presentation–he told us that he spent the night out last evening,” Hinds said. “He went as far as to tell us that he was hoping–I suspect sending a signal to those to whom this might matter–that Machel would come away with the $2 million prize.
“Mr President, there are those in the society who are saying that Machel Montano has been seen in the company of the Honourable Prime Minister and the UNC very frequently within recent times. And there are those—not me as I really don’t have time for those matters—who are saying that he is sponsored by the Prime Minister and the UNC!”
Government senators loudly groaned at this remark. “Oh please!” shouted the Attorney General.
Hinds continued, “There are those who say he and the honourable Prime Minister are frequent liming friends.” Ramlogan objected to this comment.
“Mr Speaker, of what relevance is this to the debate? More importantly, where is my friend going by imputing improper motives.”
Senate President Timothy Hamel-Smith told Hinds, “Senator we are getting a little off track. I know you said that the Attorney General raised it in a context that he (Montano) was mentoring youth as it were. So I don’t see that we need to draw the Prime Minister into it.”
“I appreciate that,” Hinds said. “But liming is not a bad word. And I was using it in the context of mentoring too. The Prime Minister was mentoring him.”
Montano, who performed at UNC leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s one-year anniversary rally in January, did not answer calls or return messages from Newsday yesterday.
Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis, Sports Minister Anil Roberts and Ramlogan were photographed at Montano’s concert at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Monday night. Montano recently performed at the Chutney Soca Monarch finals, an event attended by Persad-Bissessar, Ramlogan and other members of the Cabinet. Montano’s song, “Advantage”, also contains a lyric which welcomes the return of the big-stage at the Queen’s Park Savannah, an initiative of the Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism.
Tomorrow’s International Soca Monarch competition, in which Montano is competing in the Power Soca category which has the multi-million dollar purse takes place at Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Montano is currently before the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court on a charge stemming from an assault incident outside of the Zen nightclub in April 2007. That case was last year adjourned to after the Carnival season.
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great performance in that under the trees fete, lord i missing carnival... good to see two pres men keepin the flag flying high (literally and figuratively)
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Hinds continued, “There are those who say he and the honourable Prime Minister are frequent liming friends.” Ramlogan objected to this comment.
Is because both ah dem from Siparia ;D
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http://www.youtube.com/v/M_KcWgIOdfg
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Machel wines in Court
By ANNA-LISA PAUL Saturday, March 12 2011
LAUGHTER erupted in the courtroom of Port-of-Spain Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor yesterday as Soca Monarch Machel Montano demonstrated twice, in the witness box, how Helen Ganga wined on him in the Zen Night Club on the day he is alleged to have assaulted Russell Pollonais.
Montano yesterday continued his testimony in the Seventh Court as he was cross-examined by attorney Keith Scotland who is representing songwriter and producer Kernel Roberts, son of deceased Calypso legend Aldwyn “Kitchener” Roberts.
Montano and Roberts, along with Joel “Zan” Fezeck and 2011 Young Kings’ Rodney “Benjai” Le Blanc are accused of assaulting Pollonais and Brandis Brown during a fracas outside the club on April 26, 2007. Montano, 36, is also charged with assaulting Janelle Lee Chee and Gerard Bowrin and for using obscene language.
Questioned by Scotland as to whether he (Montano) had seen Roberts involved in the fracas, Montano denied this as he answered that he had not, nor had he seen Roberts near the scene of the alleged incident.
Asked to demonstrate how Ganga wined on him, Montano re-enacted how he was first approached from behind by Ganga who held onto him and danced, while in the second instance, he cocked back his buttocks and began gyrating. Loud laughter erupted at Montano’s impromptu performance in the witness box. An attorneys said, “Like she didn’t know she could get charge for wining like that!”
When order was restored, attorney Larry Williams who is representing Fezeck indicated he would reserve his cross-examination of Montano. Meanwhile, state counsel George Busby appeared frustrated at times as he accused Montano of being “evasive and refusing to answer the question.”
Busby, on several occasions, repeated questions to Montano demanding to know if Roberts was part of the HD family and band, which in turn prompted Montano’s attorney Dana Seetahal SC to object to Busby’s tone and relevance of questioning.
Replying that Roberts “was part of the HD band”, Montano’s attorney later accused Busby of “bullying” the witness. As the matter was adjourned shortly thereafter, the court heard that cross-examination of Montano will continue on March 21, as he is due to leave the country on March 24 for his concert in Madison Square Garden which is scheduled for March 25.
On Thursday, in his evidence in chief, Montano denied any involvement in the fight outside Zen, and claimed the first time he ever saw Russell Pollonais was when he (Montano) saw Pollonais lying on the road outside the club.
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Asked to demonstrate how Ganga wined on him, Montano re-enacted how he was first approached from behind by Ganga who held onto him and danced, while in the second instance, he cocked back his buttocks and began gyrating. Loud laughter erupted at Montano’s impromptu performance in the witness box. An attorneys said, “Like she didn’t know she could get charge for wining like that!”
I nearly pass out laughing last night when I hear the report. That shit funny dred.
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PNM MP: Not wise to send Machel with PM to UK
Published: Mon, 2011-03-14 20:31
Gail Alexander
Amery Browne The role of Machel Montano as a “cultural ambassador” for T&T at this time could send a negative message to the international community about this country since Montano is currently facing criminal charges, PNM MP Amery Browne has said. Browne was commenting yesterday on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s appointment of Montano, the Soca Monarch and Road March King, as well as other artistes, as cultural ambassadors for her current London trip. The artistes left for London with the PM on Saturday to assist the T&T delegation in showcasing the country’s talent and business potential.
They will appear at various events promoting T&T’s Carnival and culture to win business for the country. But yesterday, PNM’s Browne said: “Mr Montano is currently facing criminal assault charges and I don’t know if it sends a good signal to the local or international community to have named him as a cultural ambassador for T&T at this time. “I”m really concerned about the timing of this appointment...I don’t think it is good political judgment at all,” he said. “The opportunity should have been given to Mr Montano to answer the charges and complete his court matter prior to the decision to name him a cultural ambassador—a designation which means he represents all citizens of T&T.
“He is on criminal charges and he is riding arm in arm with the Prime Minister—what message does that send to the international community about T&T?” Browne said the local community would draw their own conclusions about the Government’s award of the “ambassadorship” to Montano, after his $2 million Soca Monarch victory. Calypsonian Iwer George who ran second to Montano in the Soca (Power) Monarch show, said of the “ambassadorship”:“Only in Trinidad that could happen... “Governments have always been involved in Carnivals from way back but this may be the first time we’re seeing Government involved in that way,” he said. “But every government and prime minister has a right to govern in the way they feel they should. “It’s their right to adopt a style—you can’t fight them for that, everyone has a different style...This is Kamla’s style. “It’s only in election you will be able to tell if the style has been successful for them or not.”
.
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PNM MP: Not wise to send Machel with PM to UK
Published: Mon, 2011-03-14 20:31
Gail Alexander
Amery Browne The role of Machel Montano as a “cultural ambassador” for T&T at this time could send a negative message to the international community about this country since Montano is currently facing criminal charges, PNM MP Amery Browne has said. Browne was commenting yesterday on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s appointment of Montano, the Soca Monarch and Road March King, as well as other artistes, as cultural ambassadors for her current London trip. The artistes left for London with the PM on Saturday to assist the T&T delegation in showcasing the country’s talent and business potential.
They will appear at various events promoting T&T’s Carnival and culture to win business for the country. But yesterday, PNM’s Browne said: “Mr Montano is currently facing criminal assault charges and I don’t know if it sends a good signal to the local or international community to have named him as a cultural ambassador for T&T at this time. “I”m really concerned about the timing of this appointment...I don’t think it is good political judgment at all,” he said. “The opportunity should have been given to Mr Montano to answer the charges and complete his court matter prior to the decision to name him a cultural ambassador—a designation which means he represents all citizens of T&T.
“He is on criminal charges and he is riding arm in arm with the Prime Minister—what message does that send to the international community about T&T?” Browne said the local community would draw their own conclusions about the Government’s award of the “ambassadorship” to Montano, after his $2 million Soca Monarch victory. Calypsonian Iwer George who ran second to Montano in the Soca (Power) Monarch show, said of the “ambassadorship”:“Only in Trinidad that could happen... “Governments have always been involved in Carnivals from way back but this may be the first time we’re seeing Government involved in that way,” he said. “But every government and prime minister has a right to govern in the way they feel they should. “It’s their right to adopt a style—you can’t fight them for that, everyone has a different style...This is Kamla’s style. “It’s only in election you will be able to tell if the style has been successful for them or not.”
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If Trinis were concerned about that yuh think Jack would have won his seat in Chauguanas West? ;)
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PNM MP: Not wise to send Machel with PM to UK
Published: Mon, 2011-03-14 20:31
Gail Alexander
Amery Browne The role of Machel Montano as a “cultural ambassador” for T&T at this time could send a negative message to the international community about this country since Montano is currently facing criminal charges, PNM MP Amery Browne has said. Browne was commenting yesterday on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s appointment of Montano, the Soca Monarch and Road March King, as well as other artistes, as cultural ambassadors for her current London trip. The artistes left for London with the PM on Saturday to assist the T&T delegation in showcasing the country’s talent and business potential.
They will appear at various events promoting T&T’s Carnival and culture to win business for the country. But yesterday, PNM’s Browne said: “Mr Montano is currently facing criminal assault charges and I don’t know if it sends a good signal to the local or international community to have named him as a cultural ambassador for T&T at this time. “I”m really concerned about the timing of this appointment...I don’t think it is good political judgment at all,” he said. “The opportunity should have been given to Mr Montano to answer the charges and complete his court matter prior to the decision to name him a cultural ambassador—a designation which means he represents all citizens of T&T.
“He is on criminal charges and he is riding arm in arm with the Prime Minister—what message does that send to the international community about T&T?” Browne said the local community would draw their own conclusions about the Government’s award of the “ambassadorship” to Montano, after his $2 million Soca Monarch victory. Calypsonian Iwer George who ran second to Montano in the Soca (Power) Monarch show, said of the “ambassadorship”:“Only in Trinidad that could happen... “Governments have always been involved in Carnivals from way back but this may be the first time we’re seeing Government involved in that way,” he said. “But every government and prime minister has a right to govern in the way they feel they should. “It’s their right to adopt a style—you can’t fight them for that, everyone has a different style...This is Kamla’s style. “It’s only in election you will be able to tell if the style has been successful for them or not.”
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If Trinis were concerned about that yuh think Jack would have won his seat in Chauguanas West? ;)
tooshay!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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socapro , trinibagonians looking foward to Borough day it have a side done planing to come through .
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PNM MP: Not wise to send Machel with PM to UK
Published: Mon, 2011-03-14 20:31
Gail Alexander
Amery Browne The role of Machel Montano as a “cultural ambassador” for T&T at this time could send a negative message to the international community about this country since Montano is currently facing criminal charges, PNM MP Amery Browne has said. Browne was commenting yesterday on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s appointment of Montano, the Soca Monarch and Road March King, as well as other artistes, as cultural ambassadors for her current London trip. The artistes left for London with the PM on Saturday to assist the T&T delegation in showcasing the country’s talent and business potential.
They will appear at various events promoting T&T’s Carnival and culture to win business for the country. But yesterday, PNM’s Browne said: “Mr Montano is currently facing criminal assault charges and I don’t know if it sends a good signal to the local or international community to have named him as a cultural ambassador for T&T at this time. “I”m really concerned about the timing of this appointment...I don’t think it is good political judgment at all,” he said. “The opportunity should have been given to Mr Montano to answer the charges and complete his court matter prior to the decision to name him a cultural ambassador—a designation which means he represents all citizens of T&T.
“He is on criminal charges and he is riding arm in arm with the Prime Minister—what message does that send to the international community about T&T?” Browne said the local community would draw their own conclusions about the Government’s award of the “ambassadorship” to Montano, after his $2 million Soca Monarch victory. Calypsonian Iwer George who ran second to Montano in the Soca (Power) Monarch show, said of the “ambassadorship”:“Only in Trinidad that could happen... “Governments have always been involved in Carnivals from way back but this may be the first time we’re seeing Government involved in that way,” he said. “But every government and prime minister has a right to govern in the way they feel they should. “It’s their right to adopt a style—you can’t fight them for that, everyone has a different style...This is Kamla’s style. “It’s only in election you will be able to tell if the style has been successful for them or not.”
.
If Trinis were concerned about that yuh think Jack would have won his seat in Chauguanas West? ;)
Well played old chap, well played..... ;D
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PNM MP: Not wise to send Machel with PM to UK
Published: Mon, 2011-03-14 20:31
Gail Alexander
Amery Browne The role of Machel Montano as a “cultural ambassador” for T&T at this time could send a negative message to the international community about this country since Montano is currently facing criminal charges, PNM MP Amery Browne has said. Browne was commenting yesterday on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s appointment of Montano, the Soca Monarch and Road March King, as well as other artistes, as cultural ambassadors for her current London trip. The artistes left for London with the PM on Saturday to assist the T&T delegation in showcasing the country’s talent and business potential.
They will appear at various events promoting T&T’s Carnival and culture to win business for the country. But yesterday, PNM’s Browne said: “Mr Montano is currently facing criminal assault charges and I don’t know if it sends a good signal to the local or international community to have named him as a cultural ambassador for T&T at this time. “I”m really concerned about the timing of this appointment...I don’t think it is good political judgment at all,” he said. “The opportunity should have been given to Mr Montano to answer the charges and complete his court matter prior to the decision to name him a cultural ambassador—a designation which means he represents all citizens of T&T.
“He is on criminal charges and he is riding arm in arm with the Prime Minister—what message does that send to the international community about T&T?” Browne said the local community would draw their own conclusions about the Government’s award of the “ambassadorship” to Montano, after his $2 million Soca Monarch victory. Calypsonian Iwer George who ran second to Montano in the Soca (Power) Monarch show, said of the “ambassadorship”:“Only in Trinidad that could happen... “Governments have always been involved in Carnivals from way back but this may be the first time we’re seeing Government involved in that way,” he said. “But every government and prime minister has a right to govern in the way they feel they should. “It’s their right to adopt a style—you can’t fight them for that, everyone has a different style...This is Kamla’s style. “It’s only in election you will be able to tell if the style has been successful for them or not.”
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If Trinis were concerned about that yuh think Jack would have won his seat in Chauguanas West? ;)
Well played old chap, well played..... ;D
ENTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
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Mr Fete Special to celebrate 30 years in the business this coming Tuesday 28th February at 9pm T&T time on TV6!
Link: TV6 Brightcove (http://www.tv6tnt.tv/TV6_Brightcove/default2.html)
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http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,163762.html
Montano: ‘Going For Gold’ with foreign artistes
By LEISELLE MARAJ
Tuesday, July 24 2012
http://www.youtube.com/v/DTyNZMiWVlM
International superstar, Chaka Khan, Cuban artiste Pitbull, and Jamaican dancehall king Beenie Man, are just some of the artistes who will be featured on the album being compiled by Machel Montano working with the Government to commemorate this country’s Golden Independence Anniversary.
Montano premiered the first track from the album, Going For Gold yesterday at the Trinidad Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain. The album was announced by Planning Minister, Dr Bhoe Tewarie, and is expected to be released before Independence Day (August 31).
“We wanted to do something not resembling the last 50 years, but the next 50 years. We want to put Trinidad and Tobago ahead,” Montano said while speaking to reporters after the launch of the song, and an accompanying video, “We are not only promoting Trinidad and Tobago, we are embracing and partnering with the world. We see it as a process of inclusion.” International producers, who Montano described as some of the best at present, are also working on the album, including Dutch music producer and DJ Afrojack and producers who have worked with US group, Black Eyed Peas.
The triple Carnival title-holder said while some may criticise the move to include international artistes, the album will open the doors of the world to young upcoming local artistes.
“The album will prove itself in time. We are building relationships with powerful producers and there will come a time when artistes like Kees will be able to just go to them and work. It will give young people the opportunity to take local music further,” he said, adding the album will also serve as a template for government to follow while working with other artistes.
Montano and Tewarie, whose ministry hosted the event, addressed criticisms made regarding Montano being the artiste in charge of the Anniversary CD.
“He is it right now,” Tewarie said, “He represents the musical genius of Trinidad and Tobago to the world.” The minister continued stating Montano built bridges to the region and the world through his music, and knows key artistes in the global industry. “People need to understand the significance of this album, not only for Machel, but for the country. He is a great musical talent and he has not reached his full potential,” assured the Minister.
Montano said he was the one who approached government with the project, and asked for their support to do the album. “When I took the project to them, it was like an alignment of the stars,” he said, “It was not government choosing Machel, but I went to them and they were open to talking about the album.”
Montano described the album as the “soundtrack of a Golden summer” which will serve to encourage the momentum of the public as Trinidad and Tobago competes in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, beginning this Friday and celebrates 50 years of Independence next month.
Local artistes will be included on the album, he said, including former Digicel Rising Stars winner, Neval Chatelal and local producers. Montano expressed hope that other artistes will be interested in working on the album and possibly doing a “We Are the World” type song, a collaborative charitable effort done in 1985 by US artistes for African famine relief.
Montano said the album would include local hits of yesteryear, but he is encountering difficulties in sourcing the master copies of the tracks like “Progress”. He said they are working with Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago to try and locate the owners of the music.
“We need people to come forward,” he said. He said the idea for the album came to him on Ash Wednesday this year while relaxing with Beenie Man at Hyatt. “Beenie said my song Mr Fete was a great song, and he could see people jumping to it in a stadium,” he said.
They spent the day working on music, but Machel began thinking about doing an album for the country for Olympics. “Around the same time I was meeting with Tewarie who liked the idea of the album so we decided to involve some of the major players, ones who see our potential,” he said.
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Another new tune from Double M's new album!
Machel Montano & Beenie Man - Champion
http://www.youtube.com/v/M9jbiqw6nY0
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Another new tune from Double M's new album!
Machel Montano & Beenie Man - Champion
http://www.youtube.com/v/M9jbiqw6nY0
Mr Fete is ah Champion now
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And here is official music video for Going For Gold!
Double M - Going For Gold [Official Video] (Olympic & 50th Independence Anniversary Song)
http://www.youtube.com/v/8ybe1pSpHhY
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Champion is a recycle sound, i feel you and a local could of done something much better . :cursing: :cursing:
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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/featured-news/Much_more_than_Machel-167639425.html
Much more than Machel
Artists divided on ' Going for Gold' project
By Jabari Fraser
Story Created: Aug 27, 2012 at 10:59 PM ECT
"Where the kaisonian in the whole thing? Why spend all that money on Machel Montano and, at the end of the day, it eh saying s--t."
These are the words of Brother Valentino. A calypsonian with heavy, socially responsible lyrics, who is not thrilled by Machel Montano's Olympic/Independence project.
Commissioned by the Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development, Montano is to produce an LP of Olympic and Independence-themed music. Montano signed the contract before the start of the Olympics.
The Games of the 30th Olympiad in London were indeed rewarding for Trinidad and Tobago and brought a post-Olympic euphoria to the country not experienced since 1976.
With performances in cultural villages during the Olympics, and returning home on the same flight as gold medallist Keshorn Walcott, soca star Machel Montano limed with some of the podium-climbing athletes of the 2012 team.
Among the songs performed at his London gigs and at Walcott's welcome-home street fete were "Going for Gold", Montano's first single off the Government-sponsored album.
Minister of Planning Dr Bhoe Tewarie says Montano's team has full artistic freedom to do all the necessary collaborations for the project. According to Dr Tewarie, Montano has been prudent with the Government's grant, but did not reveal the total sum given. "I don't want to use a number and cloud the story. I would not say it's an enormous amount, but we will facilitate the process to ensure success."
"Champion" is the name of the second single off the album and features Grammy-winning Jamaican dancehall artiste Beenie Man. It is a reworking of his song, "Mr Fete", which made him the 2012 Groovy Soca Monarch.
Montano also released a video for the single "Going for Gold", featuring T&T´s 1976 100-metre Olympic gold medallist Hasely Crawford and footage of national sporting heroes, from Brian Lara and Ato Boldon to George Bovell and Richard Thompson.
Montano is not the only popular artiste who produced nationalistic music for the quadrennial sport festival.
Groovy Soca Monarch 2011 Kees Dieffenthaller was also in on the Olympic action. He has produced a song, titled "We are Conquerors", which has been receiving wide airplay, especially during the Olympic broadcasts. His song was played again and again during Walcott's street parade from Piarco to Toco and performed in the young man's home village.
Members of the public have been critical of the Going for Gold project, commenting on the websites of daily.
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Old people in T&T have rel hang-ups boy whey sah. I hope me eh continue to get so nah. In every discipline the older heads so ornery.
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Nothing I've heard of this so far stands out. I wonder if we'll be listening to any of these songs one year from now.
Machel Montano & Friends - Love Army (50th Independence Version)
http://www.youtube.com/v/kM5I4eWN1M0
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Machel Montano ft Morgan Heritage - I See Lots
http://www.youtube.com/v/mPEwQV15KaY
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Machel Montano ft Morgan Heritage - I See Lots
http://www.youtube.com/v/mPEwQV15KaY
Message currently says this Video Is Private! :(
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http://www.youtube.com/v/04ZI6Kh8SVA
I not sure I believe Machel when it come to this subject matter. But it's still better than the rum and wine on a bumper songs he's been doing for the past few years.
I prefer this one myself:
http://www.youtube.com/v/6pcYpH_FkXg
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http://www.youtube.com/v/04ZI6Kh8SVA
I not sure I believe Machel when it come to this subject matter. But it's still better than the rum and wine on a bumper songs he's been doing for the past few years.
I prefer this one myself:
http://www.youtube.com/v/6pcYpH_FkXg
Here is the music video for the King David Sealots.
King David - Sea Lots (T&T Reggae)
https://www.youtube.com/v/hB7X2TDUQ0g
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I think is a good sound and video. First off, Machel is an entertainer. He could sing reggae, zouk, reggae-ton, house, but he is a SOCA artiste, nothing more. nothing less. I also like the King David version. The video quality and sound of the local industry has improved tremendously. I can't wait to see a 24 hr TT network with every genre of music played by locals.
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I think is a good sound and video. First off, Machel is an entertainer. He could sing reggae, zouk, reggae-ton, house, but he is a SOCA artiste, nothing more. nothing less. I also like the King David version. The video quality and sound of the local industry has improved tremendously. I can't wait to see a 24 hr TT network with every genre of music played by locals.
I hope this is seriously in the pipeline because there are more than enough quality music videos from our local artists right now that deserves regular airing.
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I've been working on the backstage 'all access' webcast at Dancing with the Stars this season which is simulcast live with the tv broadcast.
On last night's show Machel was in the audience behind Alfonso's wife and son. (He apparently performed at their wedding). Pitbull was a guest judge and hailed him out and mentioned the Trinidad wine.
https://www.youtube.com/v/oZZu7-C5DuM
https://www.youtube.com/v/iFcKxJlf22Y
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Video removed?
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B14xY9jIcAACn5b.jpg)
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Soca star Machel Montano wins Soul Train Award, in the Best International Performance category, for Ministry of Road
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B14xY9jIcAACn5b.jpg)
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Congrats to him
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:beermug: :beermug: :beermug:
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If another soca artist wins that award again next year then I think they should change the name of that award to the "Soca Train Award". :)
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'Going for Gold' earns $.175m
Opposition Senator quizzes Bhoe on 5m for Machel's 50th Independence Project
By Ria Taitt Political Editor
Story Created: Jan 20, 2015 at 9:46 PM ECT
Story Updated: Jan 21, 2015 at 8:23 AM ECT
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/carnival/articles/Going-for-Gold-earns-175m-289239821.html
Government’s $5 million investment in the Going for Gold 50th Independence anniversary project produced by Machel Montano has thus far yielded a profit of $175,000, Planning Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie told the Senate yesterday. Tewarie said Montano’s company, Going for Gold Ltd, had been paid $5 million in full by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago because it met all its obligations.
Tewarie was responding to a question in the Senate, at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain, from PNM (People’s National Movement) Senator Lester Henry, who asked whether Tewarie knew at what point this significant investment would be recovered, in terms of generating any kind of revenue and profit.
Tewarie said he did not know, “but just as you didn’t think there was an album and there is one,
just so, everything will come”.
Tewarie stated the accounts showed as of 2013, $4,762,925.31 was spent to develop the project.
These expenses included band fees; fees of professional producers, global and national; subsistence; purchasing of merchandise; administrative fees; performers; dancers; costumes, etc, all related to the production of a 12-track music CD album, one documentary DVD; eight music videos; promotion of the album through launches and live performances in London, England; Miami, Florida, USA; and Trinidad.
According to Tewarie, the balance at the period end of June 2013 recorded a savings of $308,000. But he noted there were still outstanding expenses to be met by the Going For Gold Company, such as corporation taxes and VAT. He said there were also monies to be received in terms of earnings for the project, which at the present time amount to $175,000.
Tewarie said on July 18, 2012, Government entered into a $5 million contract with Going for Gold Ltd, of 39 Gordon Street, Port of Spain. The Going for Gold project was launched in celebration of the country’s 50 years of independence. Machel Montano was the executive producer of the project.
The contract was signed by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Planning, Arlene Mc Comie, for the Government and by Michael and Elizabeth Montano, on behalf of the company.
The obligation by the company included the creation of an album; securing the commitment of local writers and producers, artistes, recording engineers and creative collaborators necessary to create the album; the production of a documentary video entitled Going for Gold, highlighting the processes involved in the creation of the album; and performances at agreed dates outlined in the contract.
Tewarie said because the company met all of its contractual obligations, the $5 million had been paid in full.
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Organisers of Fatima Carnival fete call for apology following ‘unprofessional’ behaviour
By Nigel Telesford (Express).
SAY SORRY, MACHEL
Organisers of Fatima College’s annual all-inclusive are calling on reigning Soca Monarch Machel Montano to apologise for his “upsetting and unprofessional” behaviour at the $950-a-ticket Carnival fete last Saturday night.
President of the Fatima Old Boys’ Association, Dwight Andrews, told the Express yesterday that the organising committee and the principal of Fatima College, Fr Gregory Augustine, found Montano’s behaviour to be “deplorable”. He added that they were still in discussions with his management regarding some “suitable compensation”.
He said: “We at Fatima deplore the behaviour of Mr Montano and we are pursuing discussions right now with his management, as this is not a matter that we intend to treat lightly or just leave alone.”
Andrews added that Montano’s claim of a faulty sound system appeared to be unsubstantiated and insisted that if there was a problem, Montano did not handle it in the proper manner.
“The sound system is the same one that was used last year when Mr Montano performed last year and it was the same sound system that all the other bands used on the night.
His actions have the potential of damaging our brand when we are of the opinion that there was absolutely nothing wrong—and, we are further of the opinion that even if something was wrong that there is a method and a way that anybody who purports to be a professional would carry themselves and deal with such problems and that method—which we have all been taught by our elders, teachers and others— definitely wasn’t followed,” he said.
At many of his appearances this Carnival season, Montano has complained about technical issues and was both seen and heard arguing with band members onstage several times during performances at various events.
With the atmosphere ripe for his appearance at Fatima’s all inclusive on Saturday, he delivered an anti-climax of disappointment to patrons when his appearance was marred with a troubled opening sequence, the sudden removal of the “island” section of the stage that jutted into the audience and a series of unflattering remarks about the sound system, the organisers and the professionalism of the other bands on the billing.
Montano, a multiple Road March winner, performed at the Fatima all-inclusive for the first time last year following an intervention by then-minister of sport Anil Roberts who is a past pupil of the seven-year college. He returned to the event last Saturday night for the second year and his performance was highly-anticipated to bring the event to a successful conclusion.
His behaviour and language on stage at a fete in Tobago last month was also criticised, but he denied the incident which was reported by the Express.
Attempts to contact the singer’s management yesterday proved futile.
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Machel, pay heed to your actions, dred. Always pay heed to those you pass-by on the way up. You will see them on your way down. Moonman Connection from Baltimore.
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if he ent want to perform in the fete why take ppl money and then get on sour...either tell ppl no you not performing or if you do perform just be a professional and get on with the job nah. you feel he will go and get on so in madison square garden??
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Machel Is Boss (http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,206795.html)
By Iana Seales Wednesday, February 11 2015 (T&T Newsday)
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/Socapro/Machel_Monday_2015.jpg) (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/Socapro/media/Machel_Monday_2015.jpg.html)
Up High: The high energy performances synonymous with soca star Machel Montano was on full display when he joined Lyrikal on stage for a performance of 'Cloud 9' at his annual Machel Monday concert, Hasley Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain.
Author: ANGELO MARCELLE
Soca star Machel Montano opened his roaring set at Hasley Crawford Stadium, on Monday evening, with a marching band, drums, and the song which sums up his dominance of this year’s Carnival.
The lyrics to the likely 2015 Road March “Like Ah Boss” commit the singer to a life driven by perfection — even if that level of excellence is applied to how he fetes. The underlying message captures the necessary, but difficult, struggle to do things right.
That central mission to do things “Like Ah Boss” continues to drive him after 33 years in the business. Two months after his 40th birthday, the Siparia boy who came to us when he “Too Young to Soca” still reigns. If anyone had any doubts about his dominance, he put them to rest with a triumphant return to the stadium in Port-of-Spain during the most recent installment of “Machel Monday.”
The massive crowd of about 35,000 was extremely loud when he appeared on stage and remained incredibly loyal to the singer throughout the set, following his every command.
But against the backdrop of sustained success and growing fan adulation, Montano continues to face criticisms over his public conduct, and not the kind he could easily shake off on a night set aside to cement his status in the industry.
“They could flush me down the toilet every morning, I am still here doing me. They could cuss me out, I am still here…I’m doing this for my staff. I treat them well, ask them,” he said as the set neared a close and his staff stood alongside him on the stage. His remarks were likely in reference to public outrage over his conduct at the Fatima College fete, last Saturday, in addition to a few other appearances this season which drew negative coverage.
His denials of poor conduct aside, Montano used the first few hours of his show to demonstrate why he runs ahead of the field. He marched onto the stage, wearing a military costume, sunglasses concealing his eyes, and launched into a power performance of “Like Ah Boss.”
Three minutes into the set, he changed costumes, unveiling a more relaxed look to rip into his 2015 Carnival repertoire, serving up hits such as “Endless Wuk,” “Erupt,” and “Remedy.” He didn’t look like he has been performing fete after fete without a break and as he claimed, barely any sleep. He was signature Machel Montano, bouncing around the stage, booming vocals, and seemingly inexhaustible energy.
“You remember the old stuff?” he roared, quickly delving into his extensive catalog dating back to the Xtatic days. At almost painfully loud volumes, the crowd responded by expressing its intention to sing along with every song and loudly approve each selection on the set list.
Montano responded in turn by serving up dated hits and new songs, but in between breaks to accommodate his strong line-up of guest artistes. When he popped off the stage, he would reappear in a new outfit to match the tempo of the song he was performing at the time.
During the more than four-hour long show, Montano created room for a number of soca artistes. These included Alison Hinds, Farmer Nappy, Nadia Batson, Patrice Roberts, Destra Garcia, Kerwin Du Bois, Lyrikal, Olatunji, Saddis and Lead Pipe and other artistes.
“I want to introduce this guy to you...he is one of us,” Montano said as he made way for Skinny Fabulous, who appeared first in the guest line-up at about 10.20 pm. The energy which Skinny Fabulous brought to the stage was consistent throughout the parade of guest performers — from Angela Hunte, Shaggy and Sean Paul to Chris Martin and Beenie Man.
“Thanks to Machel for everything he has done... for his talents, his music. If anyone has not thanked you for everything please allow me to thank you,” Batson declared while on stage. Montano, in turn, thanked her for her contributions in the industry and for writing all the songs on the “Patrol Riddim.” The appreciative chorus from Batson was echoed by other guest artistes including Du Bois, who praised Montano for his work in the industry. “This guy has been at it so long and he has done so much,” Du Bois said.
Though much of the concert was devoted to soca music, Montano also showcased his range, paying tribute to Bob Marley with a soulful rendition of “Waiting in Vain.” Later in the show, he stripped things down during a duet with Garcia — playing the guitar and serenading her with the slow jam vibes of “With or Without You.”
Montano and Garcia had the audience crooning along with the classics such as, “Time after Time.” They also performed a haunting version of the new track, “Come Back.” From there, Montano ramped up the energy with guest performers “Papa Jay,” a six-year-old dancing sensation and later, Beenie Man. The “Dancehall King”, an obvious crowd pleaser, worked the stage and the audience so well it felt like his show for a brief period.
“Machel, please leave my stage,” he said jokingly to Montano when he first appeared on stage and the soca singer quickly complied.
During his final minutes on stage, Montano asked of his fans, “Who is going home to head out to work in the morning?”
“That’s how we do it, we party and we get to work on time the next day,” he said. The crowd roared in agreement and as if on cue, he served up a final performance of “Like Ah Boss” closing the show at 2.30 am.
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Check this article out....
Machel has every right to complain (http://www.guardian.co.tt/letters/2015-02-12/machel-has-every-right-complain)
Published: Thursday, February 12, 2015 (T&T Guardian)
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/Socapro/Machel%20Montano%20Like%20A%20Boss%202.jpg) (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/Socapro/media/Machel%20Montano%20Like%20A%20Boss%202.jpg.html)
Machel Montano doing his thing "Like A Boss"
We really are a funny society. As the price of mas costumes increase exponentially some of us still willingly give our salaries wholeheartedly to these mas bands. We won’t ever rally together to express our outrage over what is clearly a rip off.
I love Carnival, but these very basic pieces of underwear with feathers and beads stuck to them should not cost as much as they do. I’ve heard the attempts at justifying the cost of these adornments: labour, so-called high-end materials, time spent on creating, logistics and paying for an incomparable experience. These are the same scanty pieces of clothing that you use for a few hours and then discard. Sounds like money well spent to me. But that’s just my opinion—to each his own. We earn our keep and we should spend as we desire.
But what I find baffling is patrons were upset over what was allegedly Machel Montano’s disrespectful behaviour at the Fatima all-inclusive fete. This is where I find so much humour. The patrons paid $950 per ticket but complained when Mr Montano expressed his right and need to have a properly-functioning sound system at the venue.
Patrons expressed disappointment and disgust at Mr Montano’s behaviour. Really? Mr Montano still remains the consummate professional and delivers consistently every time. Anyone that is objective in their stance would be able to easily identify that. I see no reason for him to apologise as he was well within his right to point out the faulty system. The organisers should have done a better job in preparing. They should be the ones to apologise!
I honestly have no problem with playing mas and I love seeing our people having a good time. But let’s be fair and objective. We can’t complain when one of our own has a standard to maintain, so Mr Montano’s obvious disquiet with the set-up at Fatima does not warrant an apology. Patrons spent far less for the fete tickets than one would pay for a costume, but made a point in stating Mr Montano disappointed them. That we complain about when he was trying to give them their money’s worth!
I’m aware that not everyone that fetes plays mas, but a significant portion does. So tell me, do the band owners apologise to you when they continue to blatantly rip you off? Or how about soca artistes that sing songs with a total of four or five words? How about those that habitually talk more than they sing at every fete? What about those that use the stage to complain about being “fought down” all the time? Do we demand apologies from them?
We take so much crap and say nothing. But when Mr Montano legitimately expressed his anger and frustration we were deeply offended. Enough with the double standards.
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Everyone has a right to complain but it is how you complain. Using profanity filled sentences is not an appropriate method simply because he has turned the focus away from faulty equipment to himself but in the eat ah food mentality he who eats the most complains the most I guess.
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Machel wins 7th Road March title (http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-02-19/machel-wins-7th-road-march-title)
By Kalifa Clyne (T&T Guardian)
Published: Thursday, February 19, 2015
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/Socapro/Machel%20Montano.png) (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/Socapro/media/Machel%20Montano.png.html)
Machel Montano
Machel Montano has successfully defended his Road March title, placing first and second in the annual Carnival competition. Montano, who also won the Power Soca Monarch on Friday, placed first with his song Like a Boss, which played 390 times at judging points across the country and second with his power soca song Erupt, which played 37 times. Groovy Soca Monarch Olatunji Yearwood placed third as his song Ola was played 22 times.
In a release yesterday, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonian Organisation (Tuco) said Montano’s win, though by a large margin, was surpassed by the song Palance in 2010 by J.W and Blaze and Fantastic Friday by Super Blue in 2013. Montano has won the competition seven times. The record for most Road March wins belongs to deceased calypsonian Lord Kitchener, who won the competition 10 times. Montano ranks fourth in terms of number of wins.
Yesterday, Montano told CNC3 he was happy to secure another win, noting it was not the first time more than one of his songs had finished in the top three. He said Like Ah Boss was actually made for the 2014 Groovy Monarch title but they decided to hold it back because they felt Happiest Man Alive would bring it and it didn’t.
“...So we always like to keep a bullet in the chamber just in case yuh know, because we really want to succeed, not on a competition level but we want to even compete with ourselves and make sure that we could do the best thing for the country to smile, to make everybody smile and share that happy moment...” The results for Downtown Carnival competition were also released by Port-of-Spain Mayor Raymond Tim Kee.
Ronnie and Caro’s Ah Come Back Home (Large Band), Mas Passion’s Maskerade (medium) and Rosalind Gabriel and Village Promotions’ A Tribute to Cito Velesquez (small) were the winners. Tim Kee expressed his appreciation to mas bands and spectators for participating in Carnival, saying mas had “come back” to downtown. He said the number of bands passing the South Quay judging point had doubled from last year, with big bands such as Tribe and Island people making a return.
He also praised collaborative efforts between the National Carnival Commission (NCC), corporation and former National Security Minister Gary Griffith for the return of mas to downtown. “We were successful, more spectators and the stands were filled more than at other judging points,” Tim Kee said.
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The Epic of Monk Monte (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/featured-news/The-Epic-of-Monk-Monte-294309311.html)
Story Created: Feb 26, 2015 at 10:38 PM ECT (T&T Express)
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/Socapro/EPIC%20MAS%20Band.png) (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/Socapro/media/EPIC%20MAS%20Band.png.html)
SIMPILY EPIC: Caesar’s Army will host a section in EPIC MAS Band. The costume is designed by Janelle Forde aka designer J Angelique, second from left, with models Kandi King, Soowan Bramble and Leah Marville.
The reigning seven-time National Road March Monarch and five-time International Power Soca Monarch, Machel “Monk Monte” Montano on Ash Wednesday in Tobago presented a sneak peek of his Epic Mas band’s 2015 presentation. This is Montano’s global mas production entity.
Local promotions outfit, Candy Coated Events hosted the Wine Down Cruise and the EPIC team, where Montano treated guests to a presentation of costumes and music set against the sunset backdrop.
Scores of patrons showed up to the event ready to lime and unwind after Carnival, but had no idea that they would be treated to a show with the reigning Soca Monarch himself. Montano treated them to a surprise performance that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
As Montano worked the audience, several models debuted the costume designs for the Caesar’s Army (another local event production outfit) section in the Epic mas band. Needless to say it was quite an impressive display that left everyone talking about the upcoming Hollywood carnival out in Los Angeles in June later this year.
Epic began as a section of 80 masqueraders at The Los Angeles Culture Festival’s Hollywood carnival in 2014. The presence of legendary masman Peter Minshall’s world famous puppets, Tan Tan and Saga Boy along with celebrity masqueraders such as Anya Ayoung Chee, Leah Marville, Damien Dante Wayans, Eva Marcille, and promotional group Caesar’s Army, Epic left an unforgettable mark on the three-year-old Hollywood carnival.
For 2015, Epic is expanding its footprint in Hollywood by becoming a full-fledged mas band with four sections.
They are aiming towards 300 masqueraders, more celebrity guests and the inclusion of popular section partners from Trinbago and Los Angeles. Epic Mas Band will have a full premiere at the launch of the Los Angeles Culture Festival on March 13, while the Hollywood carnival officially takes place on Saturday June 27.
Even as they are set to expand, the Epic team has already set their sights beyond LA, committing to participate in Saldenah’s Mas Band presentation “The Chronicles of Machel Montano” at Toronto’s Caribana festival in August 2015. The section will be titled “Like Ah Boss.”
Central to the success and impact of Epic is the involvement of international Montano as the band’s ambassador. Montano spends part of the year in Los Angeles and through Epic and Hollywood carnival, he is committed to exposing the West Coast of the US and the world at large to Caribbean culture and music.
Said Montano: “Hollywood carnival 2014 was a dream come true for me. I was inspired by its potential in 2013 and began working with the LACF to spread the word on a global scale about the infectious feeling we’ve created by lighting up Hollywood Boulevard.”
Early supporters of Epic and the Hollywood carnival, Jules Sobion of Caesar’s Army and designer Anya Ayoung Chee were also full of praise for the T&T invasion on Hollywood carnival.
“From chipping down the Hollywood Boulevard alongside Tan Tan & Saga Boy to the showcasing of our amazing culture to the throngs of spectators that lined the streets, the overall experience was amazing… The Romans will definitely be there in full force for 2015,” Sobian said. Ayoung Chee added, “LA Carnival and the entire Epic weekend were fantastic... It is a great honour to be part of a movement bringing Trinidad Carnival to the world.”
The Epic costumes are being designed to be reused as club wear, beach wear and even for other carnivals.
This duality of purpose of the products is key to the new approach to mas.
The costume designers are all from Trinidad and Tobago and includes, Anya Ayoung Chee, Janelle Forde, Sandra Hordatt and Marie Collette.
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Monk Monté shares his investment philosophy (http://www.guardian.co.tt/business-guardian/2015-03-02/monk-mont%C3%A9-shares-his-investment-philosophy)
By Natalie Briggs (T&T Guardian)
Published: Sunday, March 1, 2015
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/Socapro/Machel%20Montano%2004.jpg) (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/Socapro/media/Machel%20Montano%2004.jpg.html)
Machel Montano aka Monk Monté
The view of Port-of-Spain from his west Trinidad penthouse apartment is spectacular. Sitting on a bar stool on the balcony of the apartment, Machel Jesus Montano contemplates the scene.
In person, Montano is cool, calm, almost zen-like, in stark contrast to his high-energy, sometimes controversial, stage persona. He possesses an urbane wit, something he doesn’t hesitate to demonstrate.
“Am I a businessman?” He mulls the question over and takes a page out of Jay-Z’s book, “I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man!”
The boy who wowed crowds at 12 with an irresistible cuteness at the 1986 Dimanche Gras competition, singing Too Young to Soca, has spawned his own sub industry within the soca genre, with a branded concert series, merchandise, food and beverage, an app and even his own video game.
This, despite his own admission of not having a “fondness for figures or even physical money.”
While public speculation into his earnings and net worth is rampant, Montano shies away from specifics.
“I work hard enough to make sure I have enough to do whatever it is I like to do,” said the soca artiste.
“I’ve never really hung my hat too high. I’m not really much of a spender either. I’m very, very disciplined in terms of savings and very much into reinvesting in what I do.”
Warming up to the interview as he realises the discussion will not be centered around his winnings, income, concert receipts and the like, Montano discloses why he chose the Sunday BG to talk about his journey from the Savannah stage that night in 1986 to a multimedia spectacle that attracted between 25,000 and 30,000 people at this year’s Machel Monday.
Montano says it is for people to know and understand his business philosophy, which is built not only on constant reinvestment in his product and diversification of his assets, but also investment in others.
Montano has a staff of 50, more at Carnival, and he said he encourages every one of them to become business people in their own right.
“I also think it is important for businesses to invest in people,” said Montano.
His story is his way of leading by example, encouraging business owners to invest in their employees.
He didn’t always see things this way.
Montano reminisced about his attitude to money in his late teens.
“I had a very carefree attitude towards it in the early years. I remember thinking somewhere in the teenage years, that if I did X number of shows, if I keep taking shows, I could probably make some serious money and I started trying to do more and more and more shows.”
One summer he, the band and another teenage friend acting as manager, set up their own solo shows.
“We did them and we did them and we did them,” Montano thumps the table for emphasis here. “We were buying sneakers and hats and clothes while we were doing it. When the end of the summer came, we wanted to see where the money went and we couldn’t find any of it. That was a definite, definite point in my life, around 18, 19, when I realised, run down money, what you will probably do at the end of the day is probably lose it, you’ll probably spend it just as fast as you earn it.”
Montano said this was the point he decided to create legacies.
“I told myself, I’ll work hard on the integrity of my product, I’ll work hard on making something that will stand the test of time.”
“I stopped looking at the bottom line, stopped looking at what was being made at every show and started looking at what kinds of albums would I make and what kind of songs would they have and what kind of look I wanted the band to have. What I wanted the stage show to look like. And I kept increasing in that product, investing in that product, letting it stand out. Letting it mean something to people...You see, sometimes there is a healthy reward in keeping your head down and working hard on your product.”
Monk’s profit philosophy
Montano’s “reward” has allowed him to invest heavily in something he has an almost spiritual reverence for: land.
While he admits to have some equities in local and foreign markets, real estate is his true love.
“For me, it’s almost like owning a piece of the earth. It is something that doesn’t rotten. It only increases in value over time.”
Montano owns properties in California and New York and has plans to make purchases in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. He also holds real estate in Trinidad, as well as Tobago. The lands that grow the cocoa that will eventually become his branded chocolate hold pride of place.
“I think it is not just meaningful in terms of the intangible, but also something that is purposeful. For example, my investment into cocoa and chocolate is really based on sustainability for community, for the farmers, the villages that invest in these things. The Brasso Seco Village, Maracas Village where we have land, I see a long-term vision to help with agriculture and to teach people farming.”
Working as one with nature is also important to Montano. The soca artiste said much experimentation has gone on at an abandoned property he purchased in Toco, including trials in manufacturing soap and wine. He sees the property possibly becoming a “wellness” centre; the concept of wellness itself, he thinks, will become increasingly important in the future.
Montano’s financial ethos is an eclectic blend of the hard-nosed rational and the esoteric. Its development is a constantly evolving process
“My philosophy is the monk philosophy. It is a Movement of New Knowledge. Where is this movement happening? This movement is happening first of all inside of me. That is based on three pillars, the triangle.”
The table again becomes his drawing board.
“Tradition on the left, technology on the right and the truth in the middle. Left is the past, right is the future, the middle is the present...You want to marry the traditions of your past with the ever-changing, fluid situations of your future and technology, and you want to bring it into your present moment and let it inform your truth, let it inform your reality.”
Tradition, technology
Giving an inside look at his financial underpinnings, Montano said his parents always encouraged himself and his siblings to be workers and savers, while giving them much leeway to develop their own business sense.
“I always remember, being in charge of our own money from the age of 12. How much money we made, how much money we spent, buying our own clothes. Our parents set us up to be very independent. I say that in a good way. We were making our own destiny and our parents stopped giving us allowances. At age 13, we were really businessmen of our own, because we were working and performing.”
The soca star said from a very early age he had funds invested in the Unit Trust Corporation. His parents were also aware of the pitfalls of the entertainment industry, particularly as artistes aged.
Montano said they ensured band members had annuities and pension plans “to make sure that we had something to look forward to.”
However, his parents would manage his overall holdings until roughly ten years ago, said Montano.
Since then he said: “I’ve basically been deciding how I make my money and how I spend my money.”
One of the things he chooses to spend on is Carnival. Montano has launched his own band, the Epic Mas Band and has ambitions of updating this cornerstone of T&T’s culture. He is sure his experience in putting together one of the season’s more memorable events, Machel Monday, can be parlayed into good business.
“I can go in and make a difference in terms of the suggestions I may have, in terms of making these events more manageable yes. But more commercial and in a way, more beneficial to the communities that they exist in. For example, making mas in different communities, we want to encourage factories in Trinidad that make mas, that make steelpan.”
The steelpan itself is receiving the “Machel” touch. Montano said he has invested in the company Indigisounds. Owned by two young men, Montano said the company has changed the very landscape of pan music by allowing arrangers to “virtually” arrange their music through a library of digital samples of an entire pan orchestra. Instead of going to panyards to teach individual sections what to play, arrangers can now sit at home and hear what their song sounds like.
Rum drinking was another one of those local traditions to which Montano wanted to add his spin. Seeing it as a budding industry, he envisioned the 3-Zero rum brand as forever demolishing the image of dissolute rum drinkers living in rumshops. Three Zero was sexy, chic and was supposed to be representative of a new, sophisticated creature, the rum connoisseur, he said.
“Three-Zero was another attempt to diversify...It wasn’t an easy business. It was an uphill battle because, of course, we come out in a country where the rum industry is dominated by a major powerhouse, which is almost a monopoly. Sometimes, you try to go and sell ideas and nobody will see your dreams and nobody will see the attempt at change. But I think we did dent the market a bit, we did let people dream higher.”
There were challenges with the production of the spirit, with the decision being made to finally set up in Barbados.
“3-Zero is still going. We are still focusing, but we have our eye on the next step,” said the soca artiste.
Montano’s lips were sealed regarding that next step and the future of the rum brand.
Truth
As the conversation continued, it became clearer that Montano, like any other average Joe, relishes his successes and ruminates on his failures, the difference perhaps being in scale of those successes and failures.
In Montano’s case, they go hand in hand; one couldn’t happen without the other.
While his largest financial success is the Machel Monday series, it grew out of the Real Unity concert disaster, something he considers his worst financial failure.
In terms of his biggest financial success, he says: “I am proud to say with my show, I hire every supplier in the country, in terms of scaffolding, in terms of stage, light and sound. Sometimes I have three, four different people working in unison to put this event on. Right now we are reaching the point where the stadium is too small for us.”
“We have the largest soca show today, which came from the Alternative Concert, the building ground for that. We started off with 5,000 people at O2. Now we have 25-30,000 at the national stadium. It took about 10 to 12 years to build. Now it is a solid brand. It is a brand that people know will not only deliver a high-quality show, but it will deliver something that is very inspirational, it will deliver something memorable, something futuristic.”
On his biggest financial failure, Montano said it was problems with finding a suitable venue that caused the Real Unity debacle.
“I remember promoting that concert up the Caribbean, promoting it in New York. I wanted to show people what Machel Montano was all about. Bringing people together. We tried to build a VIP stand. That was the year, probably right after Miss Universe. They brought in these bleachers for Miss Universe and we wanted to use them. At the time, we didn’t have permission to use the stadium for these kinds of shows. As a result, there was a tragedy.
“It was one of the hardest times for me business wise. At the same time I was signed to Atlantic Records. I had to go away to represent my genre and my country and my culture, while being heavily sued back home, and with my parents being in an unstable situation because of this financial challenge that was in front of us...this monster, this beast. It didn’t help in my production, it didn’t help me in my mind.”
The popularity of Machel Monday aside, the soca artiste said he actually makes the bulk of his money outside of this country and most of this income is in US dollars.
The Sunday BG asked members of his management team what was his situation under new FATCA regulations, given his US holdings, earnings and residency. They were, however, reluctant to share this information.
Montano said he prefers to invest the majority of his income back into his holdings, which are mostly based in T&T. By his own estimate, the soca star said he ploughs as much as 70 per cent of his income back into investments.
Monk Monté shares his investment philosophy
These are not just in making his show and his product better, but he said he also invests in developing people and talent. Montano has been instrumental in the careers of Nadia Batson, Patrice Roberts and Skinny Fabulous, among others.
“I measure my success by how many other people I have been able to help be successful.” said Montano.
He advised young and upcoming artistes to secure the best management teams their money could buy, inclusive of creative, marketing and financial talent.
A future without Monk Monte?
Every career, even one as illustrious as Montano’s, comes to an end. In the event of an accident, or his death, Montano said he is insured, but provided few details about the extent and nature of his coverage.
He is pragmatic as he realises the day may come when he may no longer feel the urge, or be able to mount the stage to earn his bread.
“You have things that can last, so that if Machel Montano...”. He stops to knock on the wood table. “...is not able to perform for a year, he could release a greatest hits album, he could go back in the archives and say here is my calypso repertoire.”
And the soca star is always working, thinking and looking for new ways to expand his ever-increasing empire. He has made forays into film with the movie Scandalous and following the development of his app and video game, he said he is always looking for new ways to invest in technologies.
What is next for the Monk? The idea is probably already forming in his mind. And whatever it is he’ll, very probably, do it like a boss.
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Liz: Machel ‘dead’ at birth
By SEAN DOUGLAS (Newsday).
THE world nearly lost the music of soca star Machel Montano, who was at birth deemed stillborn, until saved by the frantic efforts of one Dr Roonarinesingh, revealed his mother, Elizabeth (Liz) Montano.
Her heartwarming tale came yesterday at a women’s forum at the Radisson Hotel, Port-of-Spain, held by former COP chairman Nicole Dyer-Griffith.
Explaining Machel’s 2015 “Monk Monte” moniker, Liz said his early brush with death has left him very spiritual today.
“I ‘made’ him without any pain or pushing, because the doctor had said, ‘the baby is stillborn and we are just trying to save your life’,” she told avid listeners.
“I made him and he just lay down like this. He didn’t cry or move or anything. Then the doctor turned away from me and started to pump oxygen, pump oxygen, pump out mucus. ‘Ice water on his heart! Ice water on his heart!’ Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Licks! Then he (Machel) bawl.”
Liz said Machel’s infant life was then nearly derailed by another mishap, that could today have seen him peddling doubles on the streets of Princes Town.
“They took him away and put him in an incubator. Later on when they brought him to me, they brought this fat, rosy Indian baby. I said, ‘what happened to all of you? You want my husband to put me out?’ My son was exchanged with (that of) a friend of mine, I think the daughter is part of Ali’s Doubles. She was my friend, we lived on campus together, and the two sons were exchanged. The little son grew up big and used to come to parties and say, ‘I was exchanged with Machel Montano’.”
Liz told yet another story of her close bond with her son and surviving adversity. She related that in 1992 at Carnival, she and Machel were in a car crash ending up in a ditch in Chaguanas. “Machel took me up in his arms, running up and down the highway, but nobody would stop.” She said despite his comforting words that she was suffering only “a little scratch” to her face, in fact her right eye had come out of its socket and was dangling down on her face. They eventually got to hospital where her eye was operated on. Liz said ultimately she lost that eye to glaucoma. By 2003 she began to lose her left eye too due to sympathetic ophthalmitis where her good eye emulates her bad eye, until fortunately saved by surgery.
Liz, who recalled as a child sometimes walking from her humble Carenage home to her Woodbrook school to save bus-fare, spoke of her mindset that had carried her through various adversities in life. She said her life is dedicated to her children, Machel and Captain Marcus Montano (a CAL pilot), saying men and women have different purposes including women bearing children.
Saying she doesn’t lime, Liz said she wants very little apart from gym workouts and a weekly visit to church and a massage salon.
“Most of my success is based on my determination, and not to feel inferior to anybody,” she related. “It’s just part of me that I take nothing as a problem; if something comes up, I’ll find out what needs to be done.” Saying she makes herself happy, Liz said that from young she never sought to emulate anyone as she always knew what she had wanted.”
She said she had always taught her children to always be honest to her, so that however bad things might get, she could always help find a solution. She also told them to never feel they are better than anyone else. Her advice to Machel for handling the critics, was that misery likes company and that most critics don’t know him and in their own lives have little going for them.
Further explaining Machel’s Monk moniker, Liz said it stands for “Movement Of New Knowledge (MONK)”, a foundation he is setting up to help youngsters develop their musical talent. “We’ll form a label (MONK) to help others,” she vowed. The session also heard contributions by Dyer-Griffith who spoke of the society now needing “oxygen” to discuss various issues.
The 100 women present also heard from Michele Charles who overcame poverty and teen pregnancy to become a qualified teacher and raise six children; Katherine Stollmeyer-Wight who spoke of surviving her father’s tragic murder by bandits; Nichelle Dottin-John relating the struggles documented in her book, Understanding mid-life crisis and divorce; and fashion designer, Richard Young, of “The Cloth”.
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Bahamian artiste against Machel in Junkanoo Carnival
http://looptt.com/2015/04/11/bahamian-artiste-protest-machel-junkanoo-carnival/ (http://looptt.com/2015/04/11/bahamian-artiste-protest-machel-junkanoo-carnival/)
A war of words has erupted in the Bahamas over a decision to have Machel Montano close Bahamas’ Junkanoo Carnival.
Recording artiste Kirkland “KB” Bodie has criticised the organisers for including foreign artistes.
However, bandleader Obie Pinding, the son of the late Bahamas Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling, has called Bodie’s comments “misleading, incorrect and inflammatory.”
According to reports emerging out of Bahamas, Bodie criticised the inclusion of Montano, which Bahamas Carnival authorities had said was to add some diversity to island’s event.
‘That’s our problem in (this) country; we have too much diversity. This country needs to be Bahamian. Let’s stop talkin’ stupidness ‘bout diversity’,” Bodie reportedly said on a radio interview in Bahamas.
“Now I find out that it’s more Trinidadian and it’s less Bahamianised. . . How do you think I feel? “We have a situation where a Grammy award winning group (Baha Men) has to open up for a non-Grammy award winning group? No man, we have to be the stupidest people in the world,” he added.
Ironically, the Baha Men hit, “Who Let the Dogs Out,” was originally recorded by Trinidadian singer Anslem Douglas.
Pindling, in a 2000 word statement, said that what Bodie’s comments about Trinidad, it’s Carnival, it’s music industry and about Machel Montano, were either incorrect or misleading.
“With the utmost respect to my friend (Bodie), I find these comments most unfortunate and potentially harmful to our music industry,” he said.
Pindling also criticised Bodie’s statement that Bahamians were never invited to Trinidad’s Carnival.
“Every year, they (Trinidad) invite artists from all over the Caribbean to submit their songs as part of the International Soca Monarch competition. It is an undeniable fact that Trinidad welcomes regional artists with open arms and so do all the other islands,” Pindling said.
Bahamas Carnival is set for May 7-9
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LA carnival is poorly organized by the Trini counterparts and has not reached a wide audience or even the TT community out there...
they need proper leadership in the ranks... bc there is so much potential
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:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: *DEAD*
https://www.youtube.com/v/VYTHNKZUvuk
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:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: *DEAD*
https://www.youtube.com/v/VYTHNKZUvuk
smh. lol. true kix.
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:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: yea that sh*t was funny
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I’ll take soca to the world (http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,211159.html)
Thursday, May 14 2015 (T&T Newsday)
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/Socapro/Machel%20Montano%20right%20receives%20his%20Soca%20Monarch%20first%20prize%20of%202%20million%20from%20Arts%20and%20Multiculturalism%20Minister%20Lincoln%20Douglas%20at%20a%20prize%20giving%20function%20at%20Queens%20Park%20Oval.jpg) (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/Socapro/media/Machel%20Montano%20right%20receives%20his%20Soca%20Monarch%20first%20prize%20of%202%20million%20from%20Arts%20and%20Multiculturalism%20Minister%20Lincoln%20Douglas%20at%20a%20prize%20giving%20function%20at%20Queens%20Park%20Oval.jpg.html)
MACHEL'S MILLIONS: Soca Superstar Machel Montano, right, receives his Soca Monarch first prize of $2 million from Arts and Multiculturalism Minister Lincoln Douglas at a prize giving function yesterday at the Queen's Park Oval.
Author: Sureash Cholai
SOCA superstar Machel Montano yesterday collected his brand new 2014 Mitsubishi Lancer as well as $2 million for retaining this year’s Road March and International Soca Monarch titles in Carnival.
Montano also reaffirmed his commitment to taking soca global at the prize giving ceremony for the Road March Title held at Diamond Motors, Richmond Street, Port-of-Spain. Montano won his seventh Road March Title this year with “Like A Boss” which played approximately 390 times Carnival Monday and Tuesday.
His other contender “Erupt” placed second while groovy monarch title holder Olatunji Yearwood’s “Ola” placed third. The car is valued at approximately $200,000.
Shaun Aleong, Diamond Motors Marketing Manager and Karega Mandela, Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) PRO delivered remarks. Vibe CT105, Diamond Motors and TUCO, collaboratively presented Montano with the car.
Montano said his focus would be on creating global soca music. He announced during this year’s Carnival season that this year would be his last competing in the International Soca Monarch competition.
“One of my main goals is really making a soca music that could be more acceptable to the rest of the world.
A lot of what we sing about and produce is seasonal and is solely based on Carnival Day or the season. So we are trying to create soca music outside of that while still create music for the season,” he said.
Montano’s recent performances at international music festivals such as South by South West (SXSW) in, Austin, Texas , March this year and Coachella Music Festival, Indio, California has advanced his cause of taking soca global, he added. His focus, he said, would be placed on creating music, “to bring people together and showing people the way of love, unity and peace.”
To achieve this goal, Montano said, would require collaboration with international producers and writers such as Angela Hunte and Deputy and, “collaborating with a clear intent that we want music that would take over the main stream market yet still represent who we are, still have our foundation and the love and adoration of our people.”
Coachella and SXSW assured, he said, that soca music is reaching further and further. He said he met several producers and artistes at Coachella who showed interest in soca. At his recent performance at Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, he spoke with Barbadian superstar, Rihanna about Hollywood Carnival, he said. Montano smiled broadly as he received the car. He got in and honked the horn.
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Machel Montano movie - Bazodee
http://www.looptt.com/content/first-look-machel-montanos-movie-bazodee
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The World Premiere Of "Bazodee" The Movie, Starring Machel Montano
https://www.youtube.com/v/Dx0SbuFAgIk
* That lady sweet!
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VIDEO ; https://www.facebook.com/CNC3Television/videos/10153658771882996/ (https://www.facebook.com/CNC3Television/videos/10153658771882996/)
MACHEL MONTANO AND CAST OF 'BAZODEE' ON 'THE MORNING BREW'
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If you're planning to watch Bazodee, avoid the today's Newsday review; it gives away the ending. ??? >:(
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(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/storyimage/TT/20150926/LOCAL/150929657/AR/0/AR-150929657.jpg&MaxW=730&imageversion=Article)
“Bazodee” leaves audience head over heels*
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150926/features/8220bazodee8221-leaves-audience-head-over-heels (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150926/features/8220bazodee8221-leaves-audience-head-over-heels)
The self-proclaimed “Happiest Man Alive”, Machel Montano shared his mirth on the big screen finally, as he made his acting debut in the musical drama titled Bazodee, which premiered at MovieTowne during the trinidad + tobago film festival (ttff) this past week. The reigning Power Soca Monarch and Road March King leads an accomplished cast of locally and internationally-based actors through a 90-minute love story that's set in the midst of our annual Carnival celebration.
“All in all, this is a dream come true,” said Montano to the packed hall, just prior to the exclusive premiere. “It says to me and to all of us that you should never give up on your dreams – put your heart and soul into it and be patient, but be passionate and do it with love! The word 'Bazodee' means to feel dazed, light-headed, caught up in a magical moment where you forget everything else that's going on around you… Basically, you're head over heels in love! So I want us all to get lost in this magical moment for this is our love and I'm sure we would all agree that our greatest love is ah Carnival. So let's all go Bazodee, please enjoy this film and thank you.”
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Machel Montano performs live at Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival during the 2015 Monk Monté tour!
Get the Monk Monté album now on iTunes: http://bit.ly/1L6iGVj
https://www.youtube.com/v/xPdUxm5rJp8
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MACHEL MONTANO ON PARTNERSHIP WITH DIGICEL - FULL MORNING BREW INTERVIEW..
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https://www.youtube.com/v/PM_fnGP2C7c
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UWI Awards Machel Bob Marley Status
http://triniscene.com/article/431
Trinidad and Tobago Soca Artiste, Machel Montano is among the 2016 honourees at the Annual Legacy Awards Gala of the American Foundation for The University of West Indies (AFUWI), a registered US charity. The New York City, black-tie event, carded for February 24, is AFUWI’s signature event. Now in its 19th year, proceeds from the Gala provide an average of 50 scholarships annually for students across The UWI’s four campuses.
The awards honour notable individuals from the US and Caribbean, all of whom represent high levels of achievement within their respective fields. Montano will receive The ‘Robert “Bob” Nesta Marley Award’, given to an individual/group for their contribution to society and to the advancement of arts and culture, transcending race, colour, creed and geographies; to unite people worldwide in a spirit that embodies the essence of the music and lyrics of Bob Marley. Previous recipients of the award have included Jimmy Cliff, Danny Glover and Spike Lee.
Other awardees at the event are Dr Harold Freeman, CEO, President and Founder of the Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute in New York as well as Professor Emeritus of Surgery at Columbia University. He is receiving the ‘ AFUWI Lifetime Achievement Award’ a career exploring the causes of cancer and higher mortality rates among African Americans and reducing the race and income related disparities in health care.
Chief Information Officer at GE Healthcare Global Services, Daphne Jones, will receive the Caribbean ‘Luminary Award’. This award is given to individuals of Caribbean heritage who, through their efforts and contribution to community have been able to shine a global spotlight on issues impacting the Caribbean.
The President of the Jordan Brand, a division of Nike Inc., Larry Miller, is also of Caribbean heritage. He will be presented with the ‘Trailblazer Award’ given to deserving individuals recognised as pioneers in their respective fields.
Directors of the Phillip & Christine Gore Family Foundation, Phillip Gore and Christine Gore will both receive the ‘Vice-Chancellor’s Achievement Award’ for outstanding contributions to their organizations, companies and society while Liquid Soul’s, CEO and Principal, Tirrell Whittley, will receive the AFUWI ‘Corporate Award’, in recognition of the company’s commitment to multiculturalism, inclusiveness, diversity and exemplary corporate citizenship.
Past awardees at this event include Wynton Marsalis, Colin Powell, Spike Lee, Maya Angelou, Denis O’Brien and Malcolm Gladwell. This year’s awards will be held under the auspices of Honorary Patron, Dr the Hon. Harry Belafonte, O.J. Entertainer and activist, Danny Glover, serves as Honorary Gala chair.
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Machel among honorees*
...at UWI fundraising gala in NY
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20160126/features/machel-among-honorees
Trinidad and Tobago soca artiste, Monk Monte (Machel Montano) is among the 2016 honourees at the Annual Legacy Awards Gala of the American Foundation for The University of West Indies (AFUWI), a registered US charity. The New York City, black-tie event, carded for February 24, is AFUWI’s signature event. Now in its 19th year, proceeds from the gala provide an average of 50 scholarships annually for students across The UWI’s four campuses.
The awards honour notable individuals from the US and Caribbean, all of whom represent high levels of achievement within their respective fields. Montano will receive The Robert “Bob” Nesta Marley Award, given to an individual/group for their contribution to society and to the advancement of arts and culture, transcending race, colour, creed and geographies; to unite people worldwide in a spirit that embodies the essence of the music and lyrics of Bob Marley. Previous recipients of the award have included Jimmy Cliff, Danny Glover, Judith Jamison, Spike Lee, and Jessye Norman.
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Who remember? :)
https://www.facebook.com/tntthrowbacks/videos/1650570208536335/
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Who remember? :)
https://www.facebook.com/tntthrowbacks/videos/1650570208536335/
Yessss! I was playing this tune a couple weeks ago but throwback indeed :beermug:
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Who remember? :)
https://www.facebook.com/tntthrowbacks/videos/1650570208536335/
Yessss! I was playing this tune a couple weeks ago but throwback indeed :beermug:
dais ah classic tune :)
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(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/storyimage/TT/20160202/LOCAL/160209906/AR/0/AR-160209906.jpg&MaxW=730&imageversion=Article)
(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/storyimage/TT/20160202/LOCAL/160209906/EP/1/1/EP-160209906.jpg&W=730&imageversion=Article)
Full house for Machel Monday*
Thousands jam stadium venue
A surprise reunion of two local music industry icons served as the “magical moment of the night” as thousands filled the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain for the annual Machel Monday concert event on Monday night.
The 2016 fete season has been plagued by lacklustre support for many events with several others cancelled altogether, but Machel Monday 2016 maintained its status as the biggest event of the season.
The stadium venue was mostly filled to capacity with thousands of Montano’s fans and the self-proclaimed “Monk” recruited an all-star cast of global superstars, as per usual. However, this year the energy took a long time to build into the typical frenzy associated with Montano’s appearances and the truly epic moments came nearer to the end of the show – after a relatively tame first half.
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(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/storyimage/TT/20160202/LOCAL/160209906/AR/0/AR-160209906.jpg&MaxW=730&imageversion=Article)
(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/storyimage/TT/20160202/LOCAL/160209906/EP/1/1/EP-160209906.jpg&W=730&imageversion=Article)
Full house for Machel Monday*
Thousands jam stadium venue
A surprise reunion of two local music industry icons served as the “magical moment of the night” as thousands filled the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain for the annual Machel Monday concert event on Monday night.
The 2016 fete season has been plagued by lacklustre support for many events with several others cancelled altogether, but Machel Monday 2016 maintained its status as the biggest event of the season.
The stadium venue was mostly filled to capacity with thousands of Montano’s fans and the self-proclaimed “Monk” recruited an all-star cast of global superstars, as per usual. However, this year the energy took a long time to build into the typical frenzy associated with Montano’s appearances and the truly epic moments came nearer to the end of the show – after a relatively tame first half.
https://www.youtube.com/v/kytjJ-fT0ok
https://www.youtube.com/v/p5Efv0ofmCg&spfreload=10
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Machel does the Road March hattrick
http://www.looptt.com/content/machel-does-road-march-hattrick
Machel Montano has done it again.
The soca superstar has won the Road March title for the third time.
Montano's "Waiting on the Stage" won the Road March by a landlside with 328 plays.
Kes the Band's "People" came second with 29 plays.
Montano also won the Road March title in the Downtown Carnival competition.
"Waiting on the Stage" was written and produced by Badjohn Republic.
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Montano vs Yorke in court*
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20160216/news/montano-vs-yorke-in-court
SOCA star and 2016 Road March winner Machel Montano will be taking former national footballer Dwight Yorke to court as he seeks damages after he was falsely advertised as being one of the performers at Yorke’s annual Island Vibe fete in Tobago over the weekend.
This was revealed yesterday during a court hearing at the Hall of Justice, in Port of Spain, in which Montano was seeking an injunction to prevent Yorke from further using his name and image in the advertisements to promote the event, which took place on Saturday at Pigeon Point.
That same afternoon, Montano obtained an emergency order, which was granted by Justice Ricky Rahim, which restrained Yorke from promoting, advertising or publishing the alleged performance or any of his bands at the event.
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These guys supposed to be buddies???? Well, I guess business is first. Buddiess is 2nd.
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Machel drops case against Yorke
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20160223/news/machel-drops-case-against-yorke
SOCA star Machel Montano has discontinued legal proceedings against his long-time friend, former national footballer Dwight Yorke, after taking him to court for falsely advertising that Montano would have been one of the performers at his (Yorke’s) annual Island Vibe fete in Tobago two weeks ago.
On Monday, attorney Jacqueline Chang, one of Montano’s attorneys, based on Montano’s instructions, filed a notice of discontinuance at the Hall of Justice in Port of Spain, bringing an end to the proceedings against the former star footballer after initially seeking damages for the misuse of his name and image. In fact, Montano’s lead attorney Larry Williams told reporters that his client never had the desire or intention to seek damages from Yorke, but explained that there was a legal procedure to be followed after Montano was granted an injunction by a High Court judge during an emergency sitting to prevent Yorke from further using his name to promote the event, which took place on February 13.
That same evening, Montano obtained an emergency order, which was granted by Justice Ricky Rahim, restraining Yorke from promoting, advertising or publishing the alleged performance of any of his bands at the event.
The substantive issue came up for hearing before Justice Frank Seepersad, at the High Court on February 16.
At the hearing, Justice Seepersad stated that the whole purpose of the application was to prevent Yorke from further using Montano’s image to promote the event.
However, given that the event had already taken place, the judge said it would serve no use in the matter proceeding and granted leave to Montano’s team of attorneys to withdraw the notice of application for the injunction.
However, even though the application was withdrawn, Montano still had the option of taking legal action against Yorke for damages after his name and image were used to promote the event.
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(http://www.cnc3.co.tt/sites/default/files/Machel%20Montano_2_0.jpg)
Machel Montano to perform at Lauryn Hill's "Diaspora Calling"
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/machel-montano-perform-lauryn-hills-diaspora-calling
Local Soca star Machel Montano has been included in the line-up for "Diaspora Calling." The show has been put together by singer Lauryn Hill and is a celebration of the African Diaspora.
Diaspora Calling, she explains, is a collection of works “intended to celebrate the rich tapestry of artists from the African diaspora while also illumining persistent and irrepressible themes."
The show was launched in Brooklyn and features a three-day series of both art and music.
Hill’s sold out headline concert at the venue this Friday (April 15) will also feature performances from Trinidad and Tobago's Machel Montano, Jamaica's Stephen 'Ragga' Marley , as well as African artists Wondaboy, JoJo Abot and Mr. Eazi.
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About to go under the 🔪 for the third time in 5 months. 3rd times the charm :)... pray for my bionic return !🏃🏽🏃🏾🏃🏾🏃🏾!!!" Machel Montano captioned this pic which he shared to social media, moments before undergoing yet another knee surgery.
https://www.facebook.com/961wefm/photos/a.434065493680.191101.23378023680/10153735470543681/?type=3&theater (https://www.facebook.com/961wefm/photos/a.434065493680.191101.23378023680/10153735470543681/?type=3&theater)
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Speedy recovery and blessings from the big man.
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Machel Montano Talks Soca Movement, Mas Band, New Projects & More w/ DJ Young Chow! [VIDEO]
http://www.hot97.com/news/new-hot97/machel-montano-talks-soca-movement-mas-band-new-projects-more-w-dj-young-chow-video
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Machel seen here celebrating his daughter's graduation.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=258349711198295&set=gm.2018883695002979&type=3&theater
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Machel Montano has taken Caribbean music to the White House!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Trinbagolife/permalink/2023887097835972/
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(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/storyimage/TT/20160630/LIFESTYLE/160639948/AR/0/AR-160639948.jpg&MaxW=730&imageversion=Article)
Montano leads millions *
Soca artiste commands Hollywood carnival
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20160630/features/montano-leads-millions
Only days after speaking on Trinbago/Caribbean culture, calypso and soca music alongside fellow internationally acclaimed local musician, Etienne Charels, reigning National Road March Monarch, Machel Montano headlined the Hollywood carnival in Los Angeles, USA, where over two million people swarmed on to the streets of the city chipping to Montano's music and hits from other Trinbagonian artistes.
And while Montano performed from a huge music truck, on the streets below masqueraders frolicked in their costumes as part of the Epic Mas Band, endorsed by Montano. Hollywood Boulevard resonated with the sounds of soca and other Caribbean music forms as the colours of our national flag could be seen throughout the route either being waved or being worn by proud Trinis, as well as people who have fallen in love with our island, our people, our culture and our music through one reason or another.
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Machel Montano - I Forget (Official Video)
https://youtu.be/Hjs3Ul-o99o
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Machel Montano - I Forget (Official Video)
https://youtu.be/Hjs3Ul-o99o
:beermug:
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Machel Montano - I Forget (Official Video)
https://youtu.be/Hjs3Ul-o99o
https://www.youtube.com/v/Hjs3Ul-o99o&feature=youtu.be
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(http://www.billboard.com/files/styles/article_main_image/public/media/Machel-Montano-press-photo-2016-billboard-1548.jpg)
Drake Co-Signed Soca Star Machel Montano Talks Making a Global Impact and Heading to the Big Screen
Whether joining Rihanna to perform “Bitch Better Have My Money” in her native Barbados or appearing in Nicki Minaj’s Trinidad-set “Pound the Alarm” video, Machel Montano is the go-to for providing island-ready assists to pop stars. Though his name may not be familiar in the United States, Montano’s music -- soca, the upbeat, feverishly fast descendant of calypso that fuels Carnival celebrations around the world -- has influenced everyone from Major Lazer (which paired him with Ariana Grande for 2014 track “All My Love”) to Drake, who booked the 41-year-old Trinidad native to headline his annual OVO Fest in Toronto on July 30. “Drake was just No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘One Dance’ -- a hip-hop song influenced by soca music,” says Montano. “We’re contributing to the mainstream in a major way: There’s soca in Justin Bieber’s ‘Sorry,’ too. That makes me even more focused on my role right now.”
Read More; http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/7454403/machel-montano-drake-cosign-soca-success-bazodee-acting-debut
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Soca Star Machel Montano On the Big Screen
NEW YORK, United States, Friday August 5, 2016 – He’s already a singing, recording and songwriting star, and now Trinidad and Tobago soca king Machel Montano has added actor to his titles.
In his first role on the big screen, he stars in musical romance Bazodee (Trinidadian slang for a state of dizziness or confusion – often used with regards to love or infatuation), released today in the United States.
Read more: http://www.caribbean360.com/entertainment/soca-star-machel-montano-big-screen#ixzz4GkXZIbYg
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New York Times Reviews Machel Montano's "Bazodee" Movie
The world renown publication describes Trinidad and Tobago as the "perfect setting" with its "peacock colors and beautiful beaches as a backdrop" for this "Bollywood meets Caribbean" film
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=285216388511627&set=gm.2050235085201173&type=3&theater
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'Bazodee' The Movie Hits Theaters 14th Sept In T&T And Across The Caribbean
https://www.youtube.com/v/yynkCbwuxEY
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https://www.youtube.com/v/7s6cqleBfgE&spfreload=10
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Calypso Rose Pulls Machel Montano For Her “Leave Me Alone” Music Video
http://www.thefader.com/2016/12/15/calypso-rose-machel-montano-for-her-leave-me-alone-music-video
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:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
https://www.youtube.com/v/0uEftx_LFlA
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:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
https://www.youtube.com/v/0uEftx_LFlA
I drop a couple bombs then is missiles :yellowcard: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Cb9VDSNNbs
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Machel, Kernel seek to have convictions overturned
By Rickie Ramdass
Soca star Machel Montano and songwriter Kernel Roberts who were both convicted four years ago on assault charges stemming from an incident outside a Port of Spain nightclub have mounted a legal challenge as they seek to have the convictions overturned.
Montano and Roberts were both present at the Court of Appeal in Port of Spain today for the first hearing of their appeal in which they are challenging the ruling of former Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor who found them guilty in December 2012.
Justice of Appeal Alice Yorke-Soo Hon and Mark Mohammed presided over the hearing.
Montano was found guilty of assaulting Gerard Bowrin, Janelle Lee Chee, Brandis Browne and Russell Pollonais during a fracas at the Zen nightclub at the corner of Keate and Frederick Streets, Port of Spain, on April 26, 2007. Roberts was found guilty of assaulting both Browne and Pollonais.
Two other artistes, Joel "Zan" Feveck and Rodney "Benjai" LeBlanc's who were also charged alongside Montano and Roberts, were found not guilty.
The magistrate had ordered Montano to pay compensation totalling $13,500 and fines totalling $13,700. Roberts was ordered to pay compensation totalling $11,000 and fines totalling $13,000. The appeal will resume on April 26.
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https://www.youtube.com/v/i0tUUrmICkA
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Watch the end lol, dey harass Nikki bout she bumper and she had no come back :rotfl:
Anyway I like Your time now better than Beat it fuh road march
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Watch the end lol, dey harass Nikki bout she bumper and she had no come back :rotfl:
Anyway I like Your time now better than Beat it fuh road march
Nikki is out of time entertainment :D
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https://www.youtube.com/v/S72qjIzHG5M
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https://www.youtube.com/v/af3icFpjqkE
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Machel Monday 2017 - Machel and Calypso Rose Performance and Tribute
https://www.youtube.com/v/o9OLfMeSrFw
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Machel Monday 2017 - Machel and Bunji Full Performance
https://www.youtube.com/v/tWIZ4TwZ-qM&t=0s
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Seeing Rose on stage with that cast of historical figures of our stage has a Cesaria Evora and Buena Vista Social Club kind of feel and quality. Special!
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Seeing Rose on stage with that cast of historical figures of our stage has a Cesaria Evora and Buena Vista Social Club kind of feel and quality. Special!
For me that was the best part of the show
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(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/storyimage/TT/20170221/LOCAL/170229916/AR/0/AR-170229916.jpg&MaxW=730&imageversion=Article)
Musical rivals make peace for Machel Monday*
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/storyimage/TT/20170221/LOCAL/170229916/AR/0/AR-170229916.jpg&MaxW=730&imageversion=Article
Port of Spain
Machel Montano not only brought together some of the region’s most iconic musical acts for a once-in-a-lifetime, all-star stage show at his Machel Monday concert but also inspired a few of them to set aside some long-standing rivalries. The annual concert was held on Monday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain. Leading by example Jamaican dancehall stars Beenie Man (Moses Davis) and Bounty Killer (Rodney Price), two sides of perhaps the longest-running musical feuds in the region, shared the same stage peacefully during a special segment hosted by veteran DJ Chinese Laundry (Anthony Chow Lin On).
Laundry himself later put aside his personal differences with veteran soca man and fellow radio station owner Neil “Iwer” George during a nostalgic performance of their own. It is unclear the root of their discord, but it is said the two men had not spoken to each other for nearly a decade prior to Monday’s show.
They must have all been encouraged by Montano’s own personal peace-making
moment with soca contemporary Bunji Garlin (Ian Alvarez).
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The King of Soca, Machel Montano Speaks on His Success + Importance of His Fans
https://www.youtube.com/v/DzP112U-VMA
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Machel mashing up a 28,000 audience in Bahamas!
https://www.facebook.com/ojoworldttrn/videos/824291417720445/?hc_ref=SEARCH
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Watching TV and this commercial came on...Is this Machel?
https://www.youtube.com/v/vFkf6NKjqBQ
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Definitely sounds like him. But that is not Trini. Most likely PR.
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Major Lazer has a new tune with Machel and Konshens. More Pop and dancehall combination. Not much Soca influence. Still will most likely be a big song
'Front of the Line' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bYxADz3ztA&t=71s
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soccerman see my previous post. Think that is the answer to your video question
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soccerman see my previous post. Think that is the answer to your video question
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:beermug:
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Major Lazer has a new tune with Machel and Konshens. More Pop and dancehall combination. Not much Soca influence. Still will most likely be a big song
'Front of the Line' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bYxADz3ztA&t=71s
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How does this not have much soca influence.
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Major Lazer has a new tune with Machel and Konshens. More Pop and dancehall combination. Not much Soca influence. Still will most likely be a big song
'Front of the Line' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bYxADz3ztA&t=71s
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How does this not have much soca influence.
How does it have Soca influence? Let us start the argument. Tell me how
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I'm your huckleberry
Let's start with the drum pattern which is used throughout the song.
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Wrong! That drum pattern being used by Major Lazer is a typical EDM beat and not close to anything Soca
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So what makes you so sure that it is exclusive to EDM? The alternate switch between kick and snare was adopted since the early 1980's in soca. Tonal changes through the years may influence many other genres, including reggaeton, dancehall, and EDM. But that drum pattern orginated in 1980's soca. See songs like The Hammer, Sing in She Party, Doh Rock It So etc.
But hey, you are the authority on all things Trinidad culture right?
Can we move forward, or you still want to argue drum patterns?
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If you want to convince yourself that an obvious Majaor Lazer EDM beat is somehow Soca that is on you to m keep telling yourself that, I am not here to convince you :D and all tunes you mentioned clearly do not have the same drum pattern.
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So what makes it a Major Lazer EDM beat? Qualify your statement and stop dancing around the issue (pun intended).
Better yet, explain to me what makes something soca.
All tunes mentioned have the sequence of kick and snare that exists in the song in question btw.
The problem as I see it as that we are quick to pigeon hole our own music and disqualify it, making soca very narrow and one dimensional in the mind of many a Trini. Sadly this is why our music finds difficulty breaking into other markets, because WE keep it back by saying garbage like "dat ehn soca!".
Clearly you have sat in studios around Trinidad and discussed this with producers and writers, so let me stop embarrasing myself.
BTW, is AOA by Machel EDM or soca? I'm so confused!
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So what makes it a Major Lazer EDM beat? Qualify your statement and stop dancing around the issue (pun intended).
Better yet, explain to me what makes something soca.
All tunes mentioned have the sequence of kick and snare that exists in the song in question btw.
The problem as I see it as that we are quick to pigeon hole our own music and disqualify it, making soca very narrow and one dimensional in the mind of many a Trini. Sadly this is why our music finds difficulty breaking into other markets, because WE keep it back by saying garbage like "dat ehn soca!".
Clearly you have sat in studios around Trinidad and discussed this with producers and writers, so let me stop embarrasing myself.
BTW, is AOA by Machel EDM or soca? I'm so confused!
and the problem as I see it is we quick to reach and reach for what is not ours to fulfil some void. So who has the problem? Most people will not think and will not class this as Soca, however you on the other hand is confusing an EDM production by Major Lazer as Soca because in your head you want it to be Soca and you want others to believe to this is Soca. steupse you going as far to say this is our music :D
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No one said the song is soca. You said there aren not many soca elements and I disagreed and cited the drum pattern as being soca influenced.
I then asked you to qualify your statement and you have not been able to answer any of my questions.
I can see i am wasting my time.
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You wasting mine clearly. Like I said the Pop/Dancehall tune produced by Major Lazer clearly has not much Soca influence and you came to argue a soca drum beat which is not there, instead its the typical EDM Major Lazer beat. Yes you wasting my time
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You wasting mine clearly. Like I said the Pop/Dancehall tune produced by Major Lazer clearly has not much Soca influence and you came to argue a soca drum beat which is not there, instead its the typical EDM Major Lazer beat. Yes you wasting my time
Then explain what is clearly soca and why that EDM beat cannot and has not borrowed elements of soca.
Easy question. If you respond with more conjecture and no direct answer, then I done wasting both our time.
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You wasting mine clearly. Like I said the Pop/Dancehall tune produced by Major Lazer clearly has not much Soca influence and you came to argue a soca drum beat which is not there, instead its the typical EDM Major Lazer beat. Yes you wasting my time
Then explain what is clearly soca and why that EDM beat cannot and has not borrowed elements of soca.
Easy question. If you respond with more conjecture and no direct answer, then I done wasting both our time.
So once again, what elements of Soca has the EDM beat borrowed? clearly NOT a drum pattern that is in your head. Soca music from its origins until now does not have any EDM/Pop beat style. You claim there is an obvious Soca influence but only came up with a drum beat which is not obvious. Yes you wasting both of our time.
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You answer a question with a question. Usually the last futile attempt at legitmizing an argument you have lost.
Let me answer you though:
I started with the drum pattern and provided examples of a kick and snare sequence which is present in soca songs of the past and even some present. I didn't even mention the floor tom present in certain bars when the brass is playing. The floor tom underscoring the beat is something that existed in the says of Shorty, which in those days replaced the snare in many recordings.
I will further explain myself in saying that there is a compelling argument that the song has commanding lyrics in tis hook which is ever present in modern dancehall and soca. The song is called "front of the line" with the hook insisting that the subject of the song 'step to the front of the line' which in many a party soca song can paralleled to Superblue telling the crowd to 'get something and wave' Nigel Lewis telling the crowd to 'move it to the left' or Machel telling the revellers to 'hold on to the big truck'.
Since then we have had American artists like Fatman Scoop doing the same thing and dancehall artists like Elephant Man and Voicemail belting out instructions in their songs, 8 years after hearing Jamaicans say 'soca a eediat music, only a sing bout instructions to rass'.
Now I reiterate that this is not necessarily a soca song, but my original question to you was how did it no contain much of a soca element.
Further, opinions on this subject can go either way depending on the ear that is listening. I posited though, that Trinis are quick to give up something that they played a role in, because it doesn't meet certain criteria, which I think is an injustice to our indigenous music and the roll it can play in the wider world.
If this was the case with other art forms, then maybe one could argue that Bob Marley's Could You Be Loved was not actually reggae, but Marley's attempt at securing a disco/soul American market, which from interviews of those around him then, we know to be fact. But then Shaggy's It Wasn't Me, is still the highest selling reggae song of all time, and one of the most successful singles in history. What made that reggae/dancehall?
5 years earlier he and Ini Kamoze had pop hits with soul beats behind them, yet Jamaicans and others identified with them as reggae songs. We are nowhere near that level of adjustment in the case of Front of the Line, yet you are willing to say Trinidad and Tobago's music had little no no influence on that? One of the producers is a friggin Trini!!
Start listening.... really listening, and then make your statement. Listen to Calypso in the 50's and listen to Calypso just 10 years later in the late 60's and they sound completely different. Same genre though. Music moves on, maybe it's time you do too.
I have presented my argument. I eagerly await yours. If you could have the dignity of providing examples with your arguments instead of simply regurgitating previous posts, it would be appreciated.
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MACHEL MASH UP HOLLYWOOD LOS ANGELES YESTERDAY!
Full performance! https://www.facebook.com/trinijunglejuice/videos/10155622941619560/
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Moving to the beat: Machel Montano, Soca Musician, on the Caribbean musical landscape and the future of soca
How did soca music come into existence, and how does it fit into the Caribbean’s music scene?
MONTANO: Calypso music was one of the most popular forms of music in the world at one point in time. The first full-length album to be given gold status was Harry Belafonte’s Calypso. This impact can be found in ska, Jamaican music and even in big band music, which influenced guys like Frank Sinatra. Soca rose as the successor to calypso, pioneered by the musician Ras Shorty I, who brought spirituality back into the sound of calypso music, employing east Indian rhythms and creating music based on mantras, which grew from there to become the soundtrack to Carnival. Originally an acronym for “soul of calypso”, soca might more accurately represent “sound of the Caribbean”, as it isn’t just the music of Trinidad and Tobago anymore. We’ve had a great contribution from Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the wider Caribbean. We’re even seeing the Jamaicans embrace soca. It’s a cultural shift, but one that’s connected to an economic change. Dancehall music and some forms of rap started to decline because they were often too focused on struggle, violence and drugs. Here in the Caribbean, life is beyond that now. People are looking more towards wellness, and joyful and healthy living.
Read More http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/interview/machel-montano-soca-musician-trinidad-and-tobago-2017
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The Unlikely Collaboration | Buss Head Round Table | Part 1 of 4
https://www.youtube.com/v/Grc7sw5YzS4
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The Unlikely Collaboration | Buss Head Round Table | Part 1 of 4
https://www.youtube.com/v/Grc7sw5YzS4
History of Soca | Buss Head Round Table | Part 2 of 4
https://www.youtube.com/v/D6_G7MkXSrQ&t=1s
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MACHEL & DRAKE PERFORM TOGETHER IN TORONTO!
https://www.facebook.com/SocaTv/posts/1541865935888262
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MACHEL MONTANO JAPAN SOCA TOUR http://tinyurl.com/yadueo5v
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Machel Montano 2017 Japan Tour - Recap :beermug: :beermug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYu1p5MBEx8
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SOCA TO D WURL! 🇹🇹 🔥 🇹🇹
Hip Hop Mega Record Producer Dj Khaled brings out King of Soca Machel Montano on Stage at the recent 'Tidal' Hurricane Benefit Concert in Brooklyn, New York. #LikeAhBoss
Video: https://www.facebook.com/WiUrban/videos/2036303349947425/?hc_ref=ARTIqMA59giHYR5duOC1Px_L4ckcUC9n1DBu65C4DEAcY8wsleqNwmKgcf8916GFvqA
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One thing about Machel, he know how to command the crowd. It looked as if they weren't as lively when he first came on but he had the place rocking by the end.
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Soca King Machel Montano brings out the Soka Tribe dance group at the Washington Wizards vs Detroit Postons NBA game to entertain basketball fans to his popular song "Like Ah Boss"
DO YUH TING MONK!
Video: https://www.facebook.com/SocaTv/videos/1625593597515495/?hc_ref=ARQLL8m1BUfgA0sG4sm5p0ExklWizJBXcl1dRJuZu2JsH0ySX7bIcv_Lbp7QU9OOyRM
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE KING OF SOCA! :beermug:
https://tinyurl.com/ydbn62hv
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What a 2017 year for the Soca King
https://www.facebook.com/MachelMontanoMonk/videos/vb.32582666928/10156179650691929/?type=2&theater
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You answer a question with a question. Usually the last futile attempt at legitmizing an argument you have lost.
Let me answer you though:
I started with the drum pattern and provided examples of a kick and snare sequence which is present in soca songs of the past and even some present. I didn't even mention the floor tom present in certain bars when the brass is playing. The floor tom underscoring the beat is something that existed in the says of Shorty, which in those days replaced the snare in many recordings.
I will further explain myself in saying that there is a compelling argument that the song has commanding lyrics in tis hook which is ever present in modern dancehall and soca. The song is called "front of the line" with the hook insisting that the subject of the song 'step to the front of the line' which in many a party soca song can paralleled to Superblue telling the crowd to 'get something and wave' Nigel Lewis telling the crowd to 'move it to the left' or Machel telling the revellers to 'hold on to the big truck'.
Since then we have had American artists like Fatman Scoop doing the same thing and dancehall artists like Elephant Man and Voicemail belting out instructions in their songs, 8 years after hearing Jamaicans say 'soca a eediat music, only a sing bout instructions to rass'.
Now I reiterate that this is not necessarily a soca song, but my original question to you was how did it no contain much of a soca element.
Further, opinions on this subject can go either way depending on the ear that is listening. I posited though, that Trinis are quick to give up something that they played a role in, because it doesn't meet certain criteria, which I think is an injustice to our indigenous music and the roll it can play in the wider world.
If this was the case with other art forms, then maybe one could argue that Bob Marley's Could You Be Loved was not actually reggae, but Marley's attempt at securing a disco/soul American market, which from interviews of those around him then, we know to be fact. But then Shaggy's It Wasn't Me, is still the highest selling reggae song of all time, and one of the most successful singles in history. What made that reggae/dancehall?
5 years earlier he and Ini Kamoze had pop hits with soul beats behind them, yet Jamaicans and others identified with them as reggae songs. We are nowhere near that level of adjustment in the case of Front of the Line, yet you are willing to say Trinidad and Tobago's music had little no no influence on that? One of the producers is a friggin Trini!!
Start listening.... really listening, and then make your statement. Listen to Calypso in the 50's and listen to Calypso just 10 years later in the late 60's and they sound completely different. Same genre though. Music moves on, maybe it's time you do too.
I have presented my argument. I eagerly await yours. If you could have the dignity of providing examples with your arguments instead of simply regurgitating previous posts, it would be appreciated.
I fully agree with what Swima has pointed out above. Swima obviously knows elements of soca when he hears it which for a matter of fact has been present in soca music since the 1970's and has since been used in numerous recently developed younger music genres like reggaeton, tropical house, EDM, etc over the years.
In addition if we listen to the song itself you will clearly hear Machel referring to the song as a fusion of soca and dancehall at 1:51 in the song. The EDM element in this song is obviously provided by Major Lazer which is basically a computerized Electronic Dance Music twist on the two main music genres soca and dancehall which has been fused together in this song. To compliment the fusion you have the top soca artist collaborating with a top dancehall artist on this song so the music fusion could not be made any clearer for those who know music.
Here is the song followed by the official song lyrics for confirmation, see verse 2 by Machel:
Major Lazer feat. Machel Montano & Konshens - Front of the Line "2018 Release"
https://www.youtube.com/v/z2Sz_fgW0t0
[Intro]
Eh ahhh [Machel]
aiiihhhhh [Konshens]
aih [Machel]
Major Lazor lazer [Konshens]
Aihhh ohhh...ladies a whine
Gal di world done know that yuh bad enUH
[Machel]Them addicted and them Cyah have enough
Gyal yuh whining is number one enuh
Mek a pose big six domino
[Verse 1- Konshens]
Back up back up, dumpa truck
Mek yuh rude suh, whine that up
Yuh select up tie that up
Mek yuh feel it hot like a cut
Every gyal a whine dung low
When them bruk out suh I don't know
When Foot start cock up and bumpa a back up
Gyal whine till the sound man pack up
[CHORUS]
Every gyal...ladies dem whine (Machel) whine up for mi baby)
Every gyal I wanna see my babies in line (whine up for mi baby)
Every gyal...ladies dem whine
Cranberry, Bacardi mixed with soda, mek gyal bend over, the whole thing ova
[Machel] Start buss a whine x 9
Buss a whine x 3
Step to the front a the line
[Musical interlude]
[Machel] Hey gyal Step to the front a the line
[Musical interlude]
Major Lazer
the gyal them
Woohh buss a buss a
[Verse 2- Machel]
The way how she jook and the way how she whine
The way how she tick and she tock like the time
Woohh What a gyal look fine [X 2]
Invertebrate this gyal have no spine
She don't hesitate any pole she will climb
woohh What a gyal look fine woohh [X2]
The way how she back up she back she back up
Watch how she sweet and she hot up
Look how she bumpa so fat up
Whine to the ground and then she come back up
To the sound of dancehall and soca,
Mek gyal bend ova and live Lavida Loca
[Konshens] Cranberry, Bacardi mixed with soda, make gyal bend ova the whole thing ova
[Machel] Start buss a whine Step to the front a the line [x 2]
Start buss a wine [x 4]
Buss a wine buss a buss a...step to di front a di line
[Musical interlude]
Woohh Step to di front a di line
[Musical interlude]
Woohh Step to di front a di line
[Konshens]
Back up back up, dumpa truck
Mek yuh rude suh, whine that up
Yuh select up tie that up
Can I mek yuh feel it yah
Every gyal a whine dung low
When them bruk out suh I don't know
When Foot start cock up and bumpa a back up
GYAL whine till sound man pack up
[CHORUS]
Every gyal...ladies dem whine [Machel] whine up for mi baby
I wanna see my babies in line (LINE up for mi baby)
ladies dem whine
Cranberry, BACARDI MIX WITH SODA, mek gyal bend over, the whole thing ova
[Machel] Start buss a whine [x 9]
Buss a whine [x 3]
Step to the front a the line
[Musical interlude]
[Machel]Hey gyal Step to the front a the line
[Musical interlude]
Woohh Step to di front a di line.
THE END
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https://www.youtube.com/v/bdHaHob5nP8
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Majah Hype, Machel and Iwer (on phone) ;D
https://tinyurl.com/yayvozc7
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French Montana for this year Machel Monday? Will be the biggest International act so far in the history of this event
http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/hip-hop-artiste-french-montana-joins-cast-machel-monday
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Machel Monday - Soca Kingdom - Carnival 2018
https://www.youtube.com/v/e_7R1vhJgnA
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Soca Kingdom Full Concert - Machel Monday 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZH-R6A5wso
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(https://s1.stabroeknews.com/images/2018/02/machelmontanoroadmarch.jpg)
Machel Montano on Road March win: We hit the bullseye
Machel Montano describes winning his ninth Road March as throwing yourself through the air like a shotput or javelin and landing square on the bullseye.
Speaking to Loop two days after he was announced the Road March winner alongside Superblue, Montano said the execution of his winning song “Soca Kingdom” was mindful and intentional.
“I feel happy, accomplished, it was something we definitely set out to do,” he said noting that the winning tally 336 and the number nine were special to him. He has long been a student of numerology.
Reflecting on people’s reaction to the song on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, Montano said he saw people flinging people in the air in the Socadrome and on the Savannah stage and flinging their emotions in the air.
Montano, who actually performed his song at both venues, the first time has performed on the road in years and his first time ever at the Socadrome, said his mission now is to move people.
Read More http://www.looptt.com/content/machel-montano-road-march-win-we-hit-bullseye
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(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5R8yUPD8MDg/Wy-aWFr5BmI/AAAAAAAAAN4/59CIf6Dx27g7R_cvl3K0jLco4zvRpSHCQCLcBGAs/s1600/machelll.png)
Machel Montano Recognised In Hollywood For Promoting Caribbean Culture
Machel Montano has been honoured for his work promoting Caribbean culture.
The soca superstar was honoured on Friday night at the Los Angeles 2nd Annual Caribbean Recognition Day which was held ahead of the Hollywood Carnival parade today. Read More https://socamusictv.blogspot.com/2018/06/machel-montano-recognised-in-hollywood.html
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https://www.youtube.com/v/5VFlhm-dcT0
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TWELVE YEAR OLD MACHEL ON STAGE IN PORT OF SPAIN BACK IN 1986 :beermug: :beermug:
https://www.facebook.com/SocaTv/posts/1987982731276578
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Machel interview LIVE on Guadeloupe Television :beermug:
http://socamusictv.blogspot.com/2018/08/french-audio-machel-montano-interviewed.html
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Machel marries at Red House
By Sharlene Rampersad (Guardian).
A small crowd has gathered outside the Red House in Port of Spain for the wedding of soca star Machel Montano and Renee Butcher.
Although it is raining, curious members of the public have gathered on the sidewalk.
Attorney General Faris Al Rawi is among the guests.
Montano's other guests arrived shortly after 10 am. The entire wedding party is dressed in white.
When Montano arrived at 11.20 am, Al Rawi greeted him at his vehicle with an umbrella.
When Montano arrived at 11.20 am, Al Rawi greeted him at his vehicle with an umbrella.
(https://www.guardian.co.tt/image-3.2693064.b24e692750?size=1024)
(https://www.guardian.co.tt/image-3.2693063.811f0829ab?size=1024)
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Soca Legend Machel Montano Ties The Knot On Valentines Day
February 14, 2020
Trinidadian International Soca superstar, actor, record producer and songwriter Machel Montano married yoga instructor Renee Butcher today, Valentines Day at the landmark Red House in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Read More https://socamusictv.blogspot.com/2020/02/soca-legend-machel-montano-ties-knot-on_14.html
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Respect to the Monk!
MACHEL MONTANO FOUNDATION DONATES 200 DEVICES TO EDUCATION MINISTRY
https://ojoworldtt.com/machel-montano-foundation-donates-200-devices-to-education-ministry/?fbclid=IwAR30dgYdFQ5-iJqFM8Aqe0NWZb5Pmr2zE_NB5aQ2rGek9uxzp5ianSYbuYc
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: