MM... the soca boss

Every year Machel Montano releases a song which gets entirely under my skin and puts me into a trance-like state of pure happiness for its duration.

This season it's: Endless Wuk

Last year was: Haunted...which literally had me, well, haunted for weeks after carnival....or even more so this rehearsal version...which didn't go down so well in the fetes, but I still loved.

Then before that was: The Fog...that dance beat in the background, then all the J'ouvert type memories...(a nice 'official video' this time!)

Other memorable tracks: Make Yuh Rock, Roll with Patrice Roberts, and the lesser known Speakeasy....and this is really only naming a very few of the tunes of a most prolific socastar.

Most Trinidadians either love or hate Machel...he's just one of those ubiquitous national products with a gargantuan personality you're bound to have a strong opinion on.  As a self-professed soca head and carnival jumbie, I am obliged to love him, or at least his music (as on a personal level none of our interactions have been so great....yeah it's a small country, you meet people...) or I'd have to sit out most of the fetes!!  But what he unequivocally does have is the knack of getting huge crowds energised and pumping...and happy.  

Serious musicians tend to look at him as an upstart, despite his advancing years, (...yep he turned 40 just last month,) with little talent; however, I disagree. I once heard him say in a radio interview that his ability was knowing if a song sounded good, would be a hit...and he is almost always right, to the point of regularly hijacking other artists songs which suddenly appear to be on point while they're trying to perform them!  Talent comes in many ways and in this world it seems that just because you're a singer there is no particular requirement to be able to actually sing in order to make money. The ability to tune into the masses, entertain them, and get them to the point of paying through the nose for the privilege of being entertained may well serve you better in many ways than actually singing like a bird or an angel...

So double M...keep doing what you're doing. Whether or not you're the Happiest Man Alive, your exuberant tunes bring a lot of joy to soca heads, partiers and many others who just likes to let go of all inhibitions for a few moments, buss a small wine and enjoy life!!