Tano's on the beat

Michael "Tano" Montano always wanted to be in the music business, and so, after he started studying for a degree in economics in Canada, he dropped out for an opportunity to do music there.

Unfortunately, that did not work out and Tano – as he is known in the industry – returned to TT. Thankfully, he knew people who knew people. He was put in touch with a local music producer and started recording soca music while working secularly. Not wanting to rely on anyone else, he bought production software for his laptop and started making beats. Even with those opportunities, it took him years to feel he really made progress in the local music industry, and not as a singer either.

Tano, 29, born and based in San Fernando, has made his name as a songwriter and producer of soca, hip hop, dance hall, reggae and pop music. His latest contribution? Close to Me by Kes and Shenseea (soca star Kees Dieffenthaller and and Jamaican dancehall sensation Chinsea Lee) – a song he co-wrote and co-produced.

“To get any degree is at least four years. I took four or five years to kinda get good at it, so now I feel as if I’ve graduated. I’m at a level now that I feel confident doing music with certain artistes... If you really love something you will do what you have to do to get good at it despite your circumstances.

“When I started as a soca artiste it was rough although now I look at it as a learning experience. I think everybody in music has to go through those embarrassing moments – singing to crowds who don’t know you, bad performances, making songs people don’t like, making bad beats – you have to go through that as a musician. You have to find a way to believe in what you’re doing. It’s art, so even if it’s good you will be criticised, so you have to be willing to take that.”

He said it took two years, or so, of practice before his beats started to sound good. Even then he was not sure he could make his passion a career because it was such an uphill battle. He was disheartened and considered giving it up until he got a call.

In 2015, Tano, wrote and co-produced a soca song and sent it out to several local artistes. Months passed and he got no response until one night his phone rang with a Los Angeles number. It was soca star Machel Montano. He liked the song and even though he did not use it, he wanted Tano to send him more. “That motivated me to keep going. It was surreal but it was an inspiration and since then we have kept in contact. Also, around that time I eased off on singing and decided to focus on production.”

In 2016, he produced his first release, No One, with local artiste Kalpee (Christian Kalpee). The song was getting traction on social media and got the attention of industry professionals in Dubai. The result was a distribution deal with Sony Middle East and about eight million views on YouTube, as well as another deal for the song What About Us, also with Kalpee. Around that time, he also did the song Vacation with local artiste Jimmy October.

This past June, he produced and sang on a track called Pull Up with Trinidadians October and producer Brooklyn Decent. He is also working on new music with Grammy-nominated Jamaican reggae artiste Protoje (Oje Ken Ollivierre), and with Trinidadian producer Mical Teja on a riddim for several popular soca artistes.

His work caught the attention of Complex UK writer Sharine Taylor who, in a June 12 feature, names Tano among 10 TT artistes to look out for (https://www.complex.com/music/2019/06/10-artists-to-watch-from-trinidad-and-tobago/ ).

"Do not sleep on Tano," she writes, noting "his incredible production and songwriting portfolio", highlighting his work on Close to Me, No One, What about Us and select tracks on October's Vacation project. And while Tano casts himself as a producer and songwriter, Taylor observes he "is slowly making his way into the performer arena", referring to his appearances on Teja's Motion (also featuring local singer Jay Nahge) and October's Calypso Girl.

“Within the last year, I’ve really enjoyed my work because I finally feel like I have gotten better. I have my ‘degree’ now and I can go out and work and people respect and appreciate you. I can call an artiste or writer and they would come and we will work together.”

He said he was still developing a signature sound but his work usually had elements of soca, calypso and a certain flow of words that reflects the Trini vernacular. However, he said his music would continue to evolve as trends and people’s interests change.

As part of that change, Tano hopes to one day register a production company and work with international artistes. “I’ve been doing this for six years now. I’ve finally gotten to this place. Now I have to think about how to transcend to Billboard producer or producing for the biggest names in the world. It’s a bit overwhelming but it’s my goal. I just have to work my ass off and work smart.”