Machel Montano

Machel Montano was born on November 24, 1974, in Carenage, Trinidad and Tobago. His family later relocated to Siparia, where he attended Siparia Boys R.C. and Presentation College, San Fernando. During his early education, Montano participated in the school choir. His musical career began at a young age, gaining initial recognition at nine years old with the song “Too Young To Soca.” In 1984, he co-founded the group Panasonic Express, which evolved into Xtatik in 1989. At the age of 11 in April 1986, Montano appeared on the television show Star Search. He further developed his talent 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 first Trinidadian to win the Caribbean Song Festival in Barbados.

Montano’s band, initially Panasonic Express, underwent several transformations, becoming The Xtatik Circus, Xtatik, The Road Marching Band, and The Band of the Year. Since 2007, the band has been known as Machel Montano HD (High Definition). Kernal Roberts served as the band’s drummer and musical director in the early 2000s. Montano also co-presented the International Sounds of Soca show on BBC Radio 1Xtra for four years. His discography includes numerous successful singles and albums, both solo and with Xtatik, such as “Big Truck” (1997 Road March title winner), “Outa Space” (with Beenie Man), and “Band Of The Year” (with Patrice Roberts) which won the Road March in 2006. In 2007, “Jumbie” secured another Road March title for him. His collaborations also include “Toro Toro” with Shaggy (1998), “One Wine” with Sean Paul and Major Lazer (2015), and “Mr Fete” and “Soca Kingdom” with Superblue, which have charted internationally. He has performed multiple sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Montano’s career progression includes receiving an honorary doctorate of arts from the University of Trinidad and Tobago in November 2018 and being bestowed with a Hummingbird Gold Medal, a national award of Trinidad and Tobago, in September 2022. He holds a Master’s degree in Carnival Studies from the University of Trinidad and Tobago. In February 2020, Montano married Renee Butcher. He made his film debut in 2016 with “Bazodee,” a movie filmed in Trinidad and Tobago, and released an autobiographical documentary, “Machel Montano: Journey of a Soca King,” in 2017.