Machel Monday ‘promotes love’

This year's Machel Monday will feature Calypso Rose, Patrice Roberts, Super Blue, Skinny Fabulous, Nessa Preppy, US-based artistes Motto, Ashanti, and Cuban sensation Cimafunk.

This was announced at the media launch on Wednesday, hosted by Carnival City at the Queen's Park Savannah, which gave the soca veteran an opportunity to express the intention behind Machel Monday 2019.

Montano said the concert gives him a platform and an opportunity to express his vision while making social commentary.

"It is a cultural explosion with a message," he declared. "In the last three years the message has gotten stronger from the Journey, to the Soca Kingdom."

He said soca has become the sound of the Caribbean, a vehicle which mirrors the experience and energy of cultures, genres and races.

"I think soca music is blossoming into something that is giving the essence of belonging to us, through the many expressions of soca from many islands throughout the Caribbean, and I immerse myself in it all."

Asked about the meaning of "soca to d'universe," Montano said it was like a rocket ship heading to deploy a satellite.

"On the ship, we have the culture of various islands, through its expression which is exists in all the islands, which is Carnival. Carnival is us expressing ourselves freely. This is where we have a space to express ourslves."

Montano said he seeks to use soca music as the rocket ship, which melds beautifully with the wide range of genres existing within the Caribbean to promote love and coexistence.

"You can hear pop, dancehall, compas, everything sits on the beat and lives within carnivals across borders. Music is a way to transmit messages, feelings, history, memories and emotions – transporting it across time and space whether through the phone, radio signals or other media."

He said the expression "soca to d' universe" is a call to action for all creators and consumers of soca music, the music of love, to share the love through technology, which gives everyone a voice.

"I want to show the whole world how much love there is through the album G.O.A.T (The Greatest of All Time) which has soca music from all over the Caribbean. I believe it must go out there in the universe and shine down on all of existence."

At the launch were Community Development, Culture and Arts Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, first secretary of the Cuban Embassy Alex Gonzales Garcia, CEO of the National Carnival Commission Colin Lucas and chairman Winston "Gypsy" Peters. MC was radio station owner and former DJ Tony Chow Lin On.