Machel Montano\u2019s decades-long impact on Soca music and Caribbean culture will take center stage on Aug. 22. <\/p>\n
Brooklyn Public Library<\/a> will open \u201cJourney of a Soca King: The Exhibition\u201d Aug. 22 at Central Library, celebrating the life and career of soca performer Machel Montano<\/a> and his contributions to Caribbean music and culture.<\/p>\n Created by the Machel Montano Foundation for Greatness<\/a>, the exhibition<\/a> will feature costumes, trophies and vinyl records from Montano\u2019s more than five-decade career. Visitors can also listen to selections of his music at Central Library\u2019s vinyl listening station and watch key moments from his life and career.<\/p>\n The exhibition highlights Brooklyn\u2019s connection to Montano, who spent time in the borough at age 9 after receiving a scholarship to Marie Brooks\u2019 summer programming in 1984.\u00a0In the mid-1990s, Montano lived on Utica Avenue and recorded \u201cBig Truck,\u201d his first road march, in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n \u201cBrooklyn helped raise me,\u201d said Machel Montano. \u201cI lived here, I learned here, and some of my earliest audiences were right in these neighborhoods. So for this work to come back to Brooklyn, in a place that is free and open to anybody who walks through the door, means everything.”<\/p>\n The exhibition also explores the broader connection between Montano\u2019s career and Brooklyn\u2019s Caribbean community. The borough is home to one of the largest Caribbean diasporas outside the Caribbean, with generations of immigrants influencing its music, food, literature, businesses, politics and arts.<\/p>\n “The Library is committed to preserving and sharing the stories, histories and cultural contributions of the communities we serve,” said Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library. “This exhibition will offer visitors an opportunity to explore the enduring impact of Caribbean music and culture through the life and career of one of its most influential and beloved artists.\u201d<\/p>\n Related programming will take place at branches in Brooklyn\u2019s Little Caribbean neighborhoods, including Clarendon, Rugby, Crown Heights, Flatbush and Brower Park. Events will include readings, arts and crafts workshops and cultural experiences for youth and adults.<\/p>\n The exhibition follows the 2026 documentary \u201cLike Ah Boss: Journey of a Soca King,\u201d which focuses on Montano\u2019s 16 performances during the 2015 Carnival season and other parts of his career. The film will be projected on the facade of Central Library Sept. 3.<\/p>\n Details about the exhibition and related programming are available through Brooklyn Public Library<\/a>.<\/p>\n