When you are soca superstar Machel Montano with a resume that reads singer, songwriter and producer, what else can you add to that? What about movie star?
Machel is in his first acting role as the lead actor in the movie Bazodee released last week in United States theatres. He was a bit nervous in taking on the role but who says Machel doesn’t like a challenge?
He is Like Ah Boss with the Midas touch. Just look at his career so far: A nine-year-old boy who became instantly famous with Too Young To Soca. Forming his own band a year later (Xtatik). Winner of the International Soca Monarch competition (both categories of Power Soca and Groovy Soca) and also Road March titles in Trinidad.
He has rebranded himself over and over and is now known as Monk Monte, travelling with his HD (High Definition) band.
Monk Monte was in Barbados two Sundays ago for his second Volume Entertainment 1Love concert and spoke to EASY magazine.
“It is all about Caribbean unity,” said the man who has devoted his life to the cause of soca music. “This is my second 1Love. You know that two-love is better than one-love,” he said, laughing loudly and long.
“The first one was such a success and I had a good time. This
time we opened it up and decided to bring international stars . . . make Barbados an attraction for different artistes to come and fuse their music Crop Over. We wanted to also teach them about our music in the Caribbean, such as the tuk band. . . . . It was a good change.
“It was so successful last year and so nice that we said why not do it twice.”
Those international artistes he is talking about were Nigerian singers WizKid and Runtown, who got a great reception from the patrons at the show held at the Concorde Experience grounds. Runtown also has a collabaration with Barbados soca artiste Fadda Fox.
With so much to talk about, we started with his newest project. The film was written by Claire Ince and directed by Todd Kessler and is a tasty mixture of a Bollywood musical and a romantic comedy.
The result is a stew or pelau of forbidden love between two people of different castes and creed.
“The title means sprung. How do you describe that in Jamaica?”, he asked. “It is about love and unity and music. It is what I call our version to Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come. It is the first time we getting to see carnival, soca music, Trinidad and Tobago on the big screen.
“The basis of the story is about love but the vehicle is soca music and the love for music where the races collide and mingle. They go across the boundaries and barriers of their race and their class.”
In a nutshell the movie is about two people from the opposite side of the tracks. Machel plays Lee de Leon, an Afro Caribbean musician who falls in love with soon-to-be-married Anita (Natalie Perera), who comes from a very wealthy Indian family.
“Race and class is something that has been a contention for Trinidad back in the days. We have come real far where we have now united. You have the African and Indian communities that have to co-exist so it is the story of our lives . . . . The story of our music.”
Machel said the movie was ten years in the making, the idea having been hatched when he met a producer from his homeland Tobago and a writer from Barbados.
“They were a couple who were fans and they loved my music and the themes of love and unity. They wanted to write a love story about these themes, using my songs and the island.”
Machel said he was skittish about it because they asked him to act a role.
“I was like nah. I don’t know if I can act. But when I got the script and sat and read it, I couldn’t stop. It was an interesting story. There was enough humour in it but the twists and turns is what really locked me in.”
What also sweetened the deal was that the film was shot 100 per cent in Trinidad and Tobago.
“They used a huge cast and crew from T&T and a lot of young actors too. The film industry has started to blow up in Trinidad so we have a lot of qualified people. We did bring in some outside help from London and Los Angeles but everything else was local.
“We had an awesome time as we shot during our Carnival so it was very authentic. We were partying in between takes. It was fun.”
The singer, who has sold out shows globally and has collaborated with artistes from Norway to Nigeria, will turn 42 in November and got a very early birthday gift when he was a recent guest at the White House (yes, home of US president Barack Obama).
“It was amazing. I was invited before but that didn’t manifest and I waited and waited and waited and I got invited again. It was drama to get inside . . . . The Secret Service . . . even on the day . . . . But I went and represented the Caribbean and talked about the relationship between the Caribbean and the United States.”
On the agenda was the music and culture influencing the United States.
“It is amazing at a time like this because you are seeing Caribbean artistes at the top of the charts . . . Rihanna . . . Nicki Minaj . . . . Machel has been there. I felt timely to let them know why we are on top.
“We are top because of Caribbean unity. We were brought here and we live side by side in different islands. We get along without wars and coups. Our music represents love and happiness and peace . . . a celebration of life.”
Carnival and Crop Over were “a celebration of life, a way of expression,” he said.
“The energy we put into it is transmitted all over and people have embraced and emulated it because it carries this love and peace and this urge to unite.”
Machel mentions “Caribbean unity” and “unity” a lot during our conversation.
You don’t have to go far to see the unity he is talking about. In his HD band is Bajan drummer Melvin Alick and his musical director is another Bajan, Darien Bailey.
“I am so glad when I get to perform shows of this size (1Love). I can do a full production . . . . I have my full band and all my dancers.
“When I travel overseas and do small shows I have to take it down to myself, a DJ and two dancers.”
He explained that it is costly and difficult to travel with a full team.
“Some places are not really accustomed to our music and to break into new markets we have to shrink ourselves. Sometimes you have to stoop to conquer,” he said.
He recalled his 1Love experience last year with unexpected guest Rihanna as “something that we will never be able to forget in Barbados.”
This year Machel said the decision to bring guests from Nigeria was about fusion.
“We are staying on top of the trends. Soca and Afro beat is a closure of a circle. We can see ourselves now travelling to Africa and showcasing our sound. It is a conversation when the soca talks to Afro beats and the Afro beats talk to soca . . . . All the response is unity.”
But when and how does he shut off?
“My kids . . . . My family . . . . My age,” he said, chuckling. “I can feel it. When you been doing it this long and your back aching and you have to go and take a dip in the sea . . .”
Machel says he likes to relax and unwind with his family.
“You have to realise that life isn’t about running down the success and the fame and the money. Family is important.” (NS)