Machel Montano to launch biography

The first biography of international soca star Machel Montano marking the 40th anniversary of his music career is set to launch on July 26 in a live streamed production.

Six years after conceiving the project on the completion of her master of philosophy dissertation at the UWI in 2016, first-time author and mother of the soca star Elizabeth "Lady" Montano is ready to deliver King of Soca: The ultimate insider reveals how Machel Montano became one of the world’s most popular soca artists.

“And what could be a more fitting way to do that than a thoughtfully curated show for Machel fans and followers worldwide,” Lady said.

The event will be hosted by chief diversity officer at Facebook Maxine Williams, and will feature the doyen of Carnival mas design Peter Minshall; thespian Penelope Spencer alongside some of Trinidad and Tobago’s top performance poets; and guest performances by Farmer Nappy and the Monk dancers.

Viewers can also expect a special treat from Montano himself.

From 7.30 pm viewing audiences will have the option of tuning in to the live, televised broadcast on CNC3, or the livestream on the Machel Montano YouTube channel.

“It is for those familiar with social media and those who are not. Those who can’t make it in real time can return to it. I try hard not to discriminate...I also wanted the format to be different, so the launch becomes a visual representation of the book,” Lady said.

The launch will also see the archive’s curator Dr Kwynn Johnson trace Montano’s 40-year journey through a range of select material.

The 308-page book is organised in distinct eras – the early years; the "winer boi" period; the H D period; the current period – Monk Monte; beyond 40.

The images capture people, moments and events, and the anecdotes of experiences and opportunities range from exhilarating to harrowing. It presents expected and unexpected voices of contributors to Montano's’s career, and purveyors of the wider music and entertainment industry, and it tells of Lady's often conflicting roles of mother, manager, confidante.

“I’m extremely excited and sometimes I wonder how it will be received. I have never done this before...It feels like I’m about to face the crowd at Calypso Fiesta at Skinner Park. I could see their faces waiting in anticipation, and I shudder, and then I laugh and the imagery disappears for a while.”

About the aesthetics of the book she said, “The look and format of the book were intentionally chosen. I see the use of images and colour as part of our story, our culture. And for me, this book is a cultural record.” But in the end, she said, “I understand that my way of doing both the book and the launch may not conform to the norm, but I’m not one who believes in doing the done thing for the sake of it. And this is also what I’ve taught my children.”

King Of Soca is available for order (with delivery by Unqueue) through the website www.kingofsoca.com, and will be available at Paper Based Bookshop at the Normandie and Nigel R Khan.

For regular updates, follow @kingofsoca across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.