On Friday night, Machel Montano will kick off a historic four-night residency at the iconic Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, USA. The showcase, which runs from August 30 to September 2, will mark the first time soca music takes centre stage in a full concert at the legendary venue. Widely regarded as a cultural cornerstone of African-American history, the Apollo Theater is where Bill Cosby’s comedy went mainstream, Jimi Hendrix’s guitar solos became lore and Michael Jackson first moonwalked.
BEST FRIENDS: This wild macaw visits Machel Montano’s One Woodbrook Place penthouse apartment balcony every day for a chat and a bite to eat. “It’s definitely a significant milestone,” Montano said when presented with the full weight of that rich history. “It’s so funny, because I’ve been there in 1984 or 85.
I’m not sure if I performed, but I do remember meeting people like Mike Tyson, El DeBarge and Jimmy Buffet.” Unfortunately, there are no photos of an eight-year-old Montano at the Apollo – his then-manager Margot Jordan forgot to load film into her camera – but the experience remains vivid in his memory. “We always laugh about that moment,” Montano continued, “but this is really my first time taking soca to such an iconic venue and its very significant and important because these legendary spaces give you a certain feeling, it puts it on the record, it sets soca into that standard that a venue like that has set for the world and to be invited to be there is such an honour.
” No stranger to the international limelight, Montano has previously sold out concerts at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, the UBS Arena in Long Island and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. On Friday night the soca monk played at OVO Arena Wembley in London, England. Today, he will be honoured with the Entertainer’s Key to the City from New York City Mayor Eric Adams before headlining a free-to-attend celebration concert at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York.
Still, Montano, who remarkably won the National Calypso Monarch title during Carnival 2024, acknowledges seeing his name up in lights on the Apollo’s famous marquee will be something truly unique. “For me, life is everlasting and infinite. They say there is nothing new under the sun, but there is always some surprise.
That’s the thing about the future...
it’s always unknown. If you try to decide what it is or what it should be, then it could only be a derivative of the past. It could only be related to something you knew.
Life will always give you more options than you could ever dream up. It could be things you never seen or experience before. That to me is the magic about life,” Bringing the village Montano is determined to share his big moment with his “brothers and sisters of soca”, using the opportunity to showcase the diversity of the genre.
Former bandmate and childhood friend Farmer Nappy (Darryl Henry), to T&T soca acts Nadia Batson, Nailah Blackman, Viking Ding Dong (Andre Houlder), New York-based GBM Nutron (Jason Carter) and Vincentian Skinny Fabulous (Gamal Doyle), among others will join Montano on stage at the Apollo.“Always when we go to these iconic venues we taking all of soca. As much as we can.
We reached out to all the top acts, we invited everyone that we know as the major players in the game. I probably forgetting some of the names, but we have so many people coming forward to support and share that moment,” he said. Soca fans can rest assured Montano and his guests will be bringing their collective A-game to ensure T&T and soca music are properly represented.
“Wherever I go, any show, not just (because) of virgin ears or a legendary venue, I always carry my A-game. I always carry a standard of giving people the ultimate feeling that soca brings, which is joy. Making that body pleasant, making that body energetic.
Making yuh go out of yuh body and then at the end of the show back to yuhself. Yuh will always remember that moment.” One unlikely fan that will surely be squawking on the soca king from afar is a blue and yellow wild macaw that visits his penthouse balcony at One Woodbrook Place.
Montano recently befriended the bird, documenting their daily interactions on his Instagram page. Their unexpected friendship has reminded Montnao of the wisdom of his Indian yogi Sadhguru. “In the words of the guru: ‘People try to be superhuman, but if you only understand how super being human is.
’ “I guess when you generate certain energies, certain energies will come. I used to look at them (the macaws) and always wish I would live somewhere where they would visit. I live in Toco also and I have seen a lot of toucans and I’ve seen macaws before, but to have one come to you in the city like this is really special.
He or she, I not sure which one it is, comes every day and will make noise until we come out and spend time and sit and share some company and some food. “That is the magic and beauty of life. You could never expect it to be one way.
What you think you might get in the city might surprise you and what you might get out in the country might surprise you too. It’s the joy of life to share moments with other beings, it mightn’t be a human being, it’s a macaw, it’s a unique bird, it’s beautiful, it’s friendly, it’s nice and is a good feeling. I just love these kinds of experiences in life, so that one is really special to me.
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