Machel Montano’s legacy finds a home at the Brooklyn Public Library
The soca king’s mother saved everything, and now her decades of “hoarding” anchor a landmark exhibition celebrating his 40-year career.
Parents love to hold onto artifacts from their children’s early years, from class art projects to recital costumes. Elizabeth “Lady” Montano is no exception, except that the keepsakes she saved aren’t gathering dust in a childhood home. Today, they are on display at the Brooklyn Public Library, where the “Journey of a Soca King” exhibit celebrates the life and legacy of her son Machel Montano, the artist behind some of this century’s biggest soca hits.
“This is a dream of mine to preserve, distribute, and share knowledge,” Lady, who played a key role in the exhibit’s curation, said during a preview event. “From the very beginning [of his career] I realized that a lot of international entertainers; they gathered, preserved, and shared their heritage. And I decided I would do that.”
And while her family may have blamed her for hoarding, her collection of “stuff” is the reason the next generations living in the borough with the largest Caribbean population outside of the Caribbean can witness and celebrate the legacy of Montano’s 40+ year career. Born in 1974, the same year Trinidadian artist Lord Shorty introduced soca to the world with his song “Endless Vibrations,” Machel Montano’s musical success felt destined. At 5 years old, his family discovered his musical talent, and by 9, he had already begun an international career, releasing his first song “Too Young for Soca.” In the decades since, the now-52-year-old has introduced new listeners to soca’s rhythms through genre-bending collaborations with artists including Tyla, Ashanti, Davido, Shaggy and more.
“Soca music has given me the platform. It’s such joyful music. It’s about celebration. It’s about unity,” he shared in an exclusive interview with theGrio.
Walking through the exhibit, he found, was its own revelation. “This is more than a reflection; this is even a lesson to me just to walk through this exhibit. Sometimes these things can reflect all that you’ve done in life, but when I walk through [it] what struck me is what can happen to you in life,” he shared. “I have dreams, but when I walk through this place, I realize sometimes life can give you more than you can ever dream of. And that is the miracle of how great life is…it’s infinite, it’s always ever surprising, it’s a wonder.”
That reverence carried through the guided tour he and his mother led for attendees; the mother-son duo traded stories behind old costumes—the details woven into the displays, and much like his music, love and joy echoed throughout the exhibit.
The exhibition unfolds as a multimedia experience, pairing physical artifacts with QR codes that link to additional Montano content and unpack the backstories behind each piece. It also reaches beyond his music, spotlighting his work with Caribbean cacao makers, rum production, philanthropy, and—most meaningfully to him—his commitment to education. Despite entering entertainment so young, he was determined “not to forget his education,” earning a Master of Arts in Carnival Studies from the University of Trinidad and Tobago, along with an honorary doctorate and certificates from music production and engineering programs.
“I feel very privileged. It’s an honor. I just feel special being in Brooklyn,” Montano told theGrio. “I’m flooded with the memories of not just our childhood but my career. Coming here at such a young age and experiencing the culture of New York City, specifically in Brooklyn, among Caribbean people, is an amazing memory for me. But coming this time is really full circle.”
“It’s a special moment to look back on your career and see it preserved in such a professional manner. It kind of gives you a little feeling of satisfaction or accomplishment,” he continued.
However, as he becomes the first Caribbean artist to have an exhibition in the Brooklyn Public Library, Montano admits that this next chapter of his life is rooted in retreat.
“My dream right now is withdrawal… retreat,” he shared. “I think I’ve put down a really important milestone right now, breaking a 50-year record this year and winning the road match to win 12 road marches, which was a 50-year record held by [soca artist] Lord Kitchener. I feel like I’ve done a lot of what I was required to do to raise the bar, to inspire young people, to change the cultural landscape, and now I kind of want to explore.”
“I think right now, I want to focus on you know what can you do with my impact,” he concluded.