Soca legend Machel Montano is to be the subject of a special exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) in New York, celebrating more than four decades of his contribution to Caribbean music and culture.
Machel Montano: Journey of a Soca King opens on 22 August and runs until 12 September at BPL’s Central Library. Developed in partnership with the Machel Montano Foundation for Greatness, the exhibition will showcase memorabilia spanning the Trinidadian artist’s career, including performance costumes, awards and rare vinyl records.
According to organisers, the exhibition will explore Montano’s musical journey while also recognising Brooklyn’s longstanding connection to Caribbean culture and its role in supporting the growth of soca music in North America.
Montano began performing professionally at the age of seven and gained early recognition with his debut album, Too Young To Soca, released in 1985. Since then, he has become one of the genre’s most influential figures, helping to take soca to audiences worldwide through decades of recordings, live performances and international collaborations.
The exhibition follows the release of the documentary Like Ah Boss: Journey of a Soca King, which chronicles key moments in Montano’s career. As part of the programme, the film will be screened on the exterior of the Central Library on 3 September.
Widely known as the King of Soca, Montano remains one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most decorated performers, with a record 12 Road March titles among his many achievements.