An Exclusive Interview with Soca Star Machel Montano

Summary

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In 1982, while still attending school, Montano, who is also a songwriter and record producer, entered the music industry with the song "Too Young to Soca." Since then, he has recorded over 20 albums, some solo and some with his band, Montano HD (formerly known as Xtatik). Inclusive: "Charge" (1998) (which includes the powerful and popular singles "Toro Toro" and "Footsteps"); "2000 Young to Soca" (2000 re-edition); "Runaway" (with Walker) (2001), "The Xtatick Experience" (2005); "B.O.D.Y" (2006); Tm Gonna Getcha" (with Guy Sebastian) (2006); and The Book of Angels" (2007).

On his current album, The Book of Angels," which contains such tracks as "Higher Than High," "One More Time," "Hold Me Tonight" and "Jumbie." Montano shares: "All of the cuts deal with angels of different realms-angels of freedom, angels of peace, angels of love. The album is like a book full of spiritual meditations."

"I keep that consciousness in my mind because I know that it may not be the means to my end," says Montano, who is in discussions with some major U.S. record labels. In addition he has recently purchased a home in Los Angeles to be closer to the "feeding grounds," yet will keep Trinidad as his home base. "I may not be the one to bring it forth," says Marchel Jesus Montano, the Trinidad & Tobago ambassador of soca, "but in the meantime, I have a lot of work to do in order for something to happen!"

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An Exclusive Interview with Soca Star Machel Montano

By MISANI

Special to the AmNews

"Our songs come as messages. ..our songs come as inspiration because we are looking for those songs." Machel Montano expresses himself lyrically, his melodious voice flowing serenely like that of the safe, lucid waters of Chaguaramas Bay in Trinidad, his country of birth. "We receive thes...

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