Machel Montano’s mega return to south

KING of soca Machel Montano is planning to deliver a performance of “Machel Monday proportions” in south at Mega the Concert, his only show in south Trinidad for Carnival 2025.

Mega will be held at Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, on February 7.

On his return to south, despite shelling down Skinner Park in San Fernando last year for Calypso Monarch semi-finals, Montano is ready to embrace his day-one south fans.

“It’s a special feeling and we’re coming to south with love and appreciation,” he told Newsday during a cellphone interview on February 6.

“Stage, lights, sound, performance time, bringing all the other acts together with us. We just wanted to do something special, and we still want to make it a fete, because we know it’s Carnival. But the scale is going to be mega, hence the name, and we’re going to give south their flowers and props, and come out of the gates with them first.”

The Pardy singer said the anticipation is building in his camp, as well as throughout Trinidad and Tobago, for his first full concert for the season.

So far, it’s been smooth sailing for the Mega prep, and the only challenge he’s been facing is which one or two of his monster hits he should leave out since there are too many to perform all.

Asked what patrons can expect from him, Montano said he’s going all out.

“We were trying to contain the length of the show, because after we started putting up the hit songs, it was difficult to tell which ones we’d leave out and which ones we’ll do longer. It’s so much – not only that, so many new, good songs.

“Straight off the bat, it’s going to be fete one time. And then we’ll think about slowing it down, get it nice, but we’re not staying there for long, because it’s designed to be back up. So expect all the hits, all the new songs performed in a very special way.”

On his 2025 Road March contender Pardy, Montano said it signifies a universal message. Pardy is currently ranked second on Apple Music’s top songs in TT.

He feels “overwhelmed, grateful and accomplished” and believes it’s a song everyone can relate to throughout their daily lives, whether at school or work.

Pardy is one for the people, he said.

“When the song was presented to me, I heard the potential and newness of it, but I also heard some points of nostalgia, some things that were familiar, but done in a different way.

“What stood out for me was the universal message and I felt it could relate to students, education, people in the workforce and their jobs, people’s personal feelings about overworking themselves and giving yourself a little break, patting yourself on the shoulder and even treating yourself to a lil ice cream.”

As for Montano himself, who’s just spent two years at the University of TT, graduating with a masters in Carnival studies, and producing a forthcoming album, One Degree Hotter: “I think I also deserve a pardy and good Carnival, because we work hard whole year, and we look forward to Carnival as our break and release.”

The hook for Pardy, he confirmed, was written by rising soca songbird Mela Caribe.

Montano is elated that once again – 25 years later – he’ll team up again with chutney legend Drupatee Ramgoonai onstage at Mega.

The duo are famed for their 2000 chutney soca classic Real Unity, and have combined talents once more this year in the collaboration Pepper Vine, featuring Lady Lava, Jus Now and DJ Private Ryan, on the Bombay Tea Riddim.

Montano described their reuniting as a cyclical moment.

“Twenty-five years is a big jump to come full circle.

“Drupatee’s voice sounds the same, even sweeter, like gold. She was very willing and happy to hear from me and determined to get everything we wanted right. She went back in the studio two and three days just to master it, because we wanted it simple, but it took a lot to get that simplicity to sit.”

The song had such an immediate impact, they were instantly propelled into the Chutney Soca Monarch (CSM) semifinals on February 8 at La Tropical, Rig Compound in La Romaine. Montano will sing in position number one at the competition.

“Drupatee and her team were very happy, and we loved it in the end. It’s a kind of nostalgia, but it’s a new beat, a new vibe and new time, where Afrobeats and Indo music are global. It’s an opportunity for us to raise the whole genre of soca, chutney and calypso, when we do these kind of collaborations.”

And despite saying he would not take part in soca competitions again, after winning the Calypso Monarch crown on his debut in 2024, Montano opted to dive into uncharted waters again in 2025, and threw his hat into the CSM ring.

On advancing to the semis, and being
potentially on course to make the finals, the soca icon welcomed the challenge, and also embraced the chance to team up with new sensation Lady Lava and Ramgoonai on the track.

“After I won the Calypso Monarch last year, everybody was like ‘Oh gosh, boy, what he go win next, Panorama?’ People said ‘Montano for CSM.’

I heard it and started laughing – but then the laughter quickly subsided into seriousness. I love chutney soca music so much and I had lost touch with the competition.

“So I said to myself that if I ever get a chutney song I’ll try the CSM.”

Montano said he was a big fan of Lady Lava and loved her “zess-style music and poetry.” He is looking forward to their combined performance at Mega and at CSM semis the following night, dubbing the track “a different vibration.”

M1 from Three Suns also played an important role in helping them finalise the beat for Pepper Vine.

Looking ahead at the rest of the season, Montano wants a peaceful, joyful and healthy Carnival for himself, those participating in pre-Carnival events and revellers and spectators of mas on the road on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

“I want 2025 Carnival to be injury-free, free of any resistance and things that might distract us from that beautiful feeling we have. I just want to get to Ash Wednesday to start (again), because I have a lot of music sitting there that I want to work on that’s very, very different.

“I know I owe it to my fans to come out and give them a great Carnival, and hope I do that. Try to hit the songs at all levels; groovy, power, medium tempo, chutney, Road March, wining tune for the girls, all corners.”

Montano is preparing to release his new album One Degree Hotter, in commemoration of him graduating with a degree from UTT.

It is expected to be launched in late February.

“I’m just hoping for all of those things to run smoothly – and get back to work after Carnival.”

 

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