Machel Montano

Machel Montano is a universally celebrated artist, performer, songwriter, and producer, widely recognized for pioneering and globalizing the Soca music genre. After releasing the foundational track ‘Too Young To Soca’ in 1983, Machel Montano went on to co-found Panasonic Express in 1984, laying the groundwork for a prolific career in music. Montano gained national attention with an appearance on the television show Star Search in April 1986, and further demonstrated his songwriting prowess by placing second in the 1987 Trinidad and Tobago National Song Writers Festival with ‘Dream Girl.’ The same year, he became the youngest contestant and the first Trinidadian to win the prestigious Caribbean Song Festival in Barbados. His band, Panasonic Express, evolved into Xtatik in 1989, marking the beginning of a transformative period in Soca music.

His journey was further chronicled in the autobiographical documentary, ‘Machel Montano: Journey of a Soca King,’ released in 2017. Recognizing his profound cultural impact, the University of Trinidad and Tobago bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate of arts in November 2018. Montano also holds a Master’s degree in Carnival Studies from the same institution. In September 2022, he received the Hummingbird Gold Medal, a distinguished national award of Trinidad and Tobago.

Most recently, Montano achieved the prestigious Calypso Monarch title in 2024, continuing to define the global sound of Soca music.