Tano pays homage to San Fernando with debut High Street riddim

WHEN south people hear the words High Street, San Fernando, they think about adamant and persuasive vendors, banks, clothes, food courts, market goods, music being blasted through speakers, among other things.

It was these memories of growing up in the city which led Michael "Tano" Montano to name his debut riddim the High Street riddim.

Montano, who has worked with local and international acts including Shenseea and Rvssian, said he first began working on the riddim around April.

It was officially released on December 9 and features Kes the Band with their song Jub Jub, Patrice Roberts with Grown Up, Mical Teja with Trini Gyal, Erphaan Alves with Lifeline and Preedy with Rocket.

Montano said the beat started off with the drums, which then moved to guitars and eventually, the entire beat.

He produced all of it, but it features live guitars and bass by fellow south man Kyle Peters and the All Stars Brass band. It was mixed and mastered by Precision Productions and Dre Major.

"When it was in a near completed stage, I was kind of like, 'What should I name it?'"

It was then he started reflecting on his childhood and decided to pay homage to his home city.

"I grew up on High Street. My dad had a business there, so I was always on High Street, I used to cut my hair on High Street...

"High Street itself feels very familiar to me. It's just a vibe by itself."

When he hears the words "High Street," he thinks of family, adding that if he were to walk there now, he's "almost guaranteed to see someone I know that I knew since I was small."

He said he sent the riddim to several artistes when it was completed and they all loved it – even those who did not end up being featured on it.

Montano believes the range of songs on his riddim is a "good blend" of styles like old-school calypso, Afrobeats and modern soca, among others.

The cover art – which features a digital drawing of the Newsday's front page on October 5, 2021 – was done by artist Rael Luvi. It features a speaker box, shoes, newspapers, CDs and a bottle. Montano said these are some of the sights someone walking along High Street would normally see.

The riddim can be found on all streaming platforms and on YouTube.