Machel Montano / BelO @ Celebrate Brooklyn!

MACHEL MONTANO, whose “place as soca’s most transformative star is undeniable,” (NY Times) brings the wild and steamy spirit of Trinidad Carnival to Brooklyn—and the people will rejoice! Born in 1974 in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Montano was destined for greatness from the start. His career began in 1982 at age seven; at age nine he formed his band, Pranasonic Express. His 1985 debut album Too Young to Soca was an instant hit. In April of 1986, he appeared on Star Search, bringing soca music to US national television. The next year, he took 2nd place in the Trinidad & Tobago National Song Writer’s Festival. In 1987, at the age of 12, he was the winner of the Caribbean Song Festival held in Barbados, becoming the first Trinidadian and youngest to ever win this prestigious contest, and he has never looked back. In 2011, he released his thirty-fifth album, and won in six categories at the International Reggae and World Music Awards: Most Outstanding Stage Personality, Best Male Calypso/Soca Entertainer, Best Caribbean Entertainer, Most Outstanding Show Band, Best Soca Band, and The King of Soca. The Bandshell might never be the same. The night begins with an opening set by the socially conscious Creole singer-songwriter BélO, who has been called Haiti’s musical ambassador to the world.