January 14, 2025
SOCA music has made it to NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series.
Machel Montano and a group of talented musicians made history as they brought the Washington, DC, studio alive with the vibrant sounds of the TT-born genre.
The 20-minute concert was uploaded to YouTube on January 13 (images from the concert leaked online in late November 2024).
The Tiny Desk Concert series, which began in 2008, allows singers and musicians to give intimate live concerts. Many of its videos garner millions of views.
NPR Music’s YouTube channel has over ten million subscribers and nearly 3,000 videos uploaded. Major artistes have graced this studio, such as Usher, Adele, Sting, Shaggy, Alicia Keys, T-Pain, Justin Timberlake, Damian “Jr Gong” Marley, Erykah Badu, Coldplay, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift.
Montano opened his show, in front of a live audience, with his 2007 hit One More Time.
Before moving on, he told the audience, “My name is Machel Montano, from Trinidad and Tobago.”
He added that in the Caribbean, “It’s always dancing time.”
He went on to sing Dance With You, then told the audience to get ready for “wining time,” moving on to Fast Wine.
Taking off his jacket, he joked, “Time to turn up that heat.”
He explained they would be transitioning from groovy to power soca, then sang Like Ah Boss, Famalay and Soca Kingdom.
Audience members jumped, danced and sang along. Some waved bandanas with the national flags of different Caribbean countries.
Montano was accompanied by musicians Kyle Peters (guitar), Bayete Williams (keyboard), Duane “Abletron Gawd” Williams (effects), Dwain “Dwaingerous” Antrobus (keyboard), Damien Neblett (bass guitar), Melvin Alick (drums), Etienne Charles (trumpet, flugelhorn), Rhys Thompson and Modupe Onilu aka Boomboomroomtt (percussion), and Lamar Antwon Robinson and Michael Chandlar as backup vocalists.
In an Instagram post, Montano said it was not just his moment but “our (TT’s) moment.
“Today we made history. For the first time ever, soca music has graced the iconic NPR Tiny Desk stage, and I am filled with gratitude, and an overwhelming sense of pride, to represent our culture on this global platform.
“(This is) a moment for every soca lover, every Caribbean soul, and every person who carries the rhythm of the islands in their heart. Let’s celebrate this milestone together. Watch it. Share it. Be proud of how far our music has come. Thank you for being part of this journey.”
NPR Music posted on Instagram: “Stretch and loosen up! Machel Montano is the first to bring soca, the high-energy dance music of the Caribbean, to the desk.”
Montano replied, “What an honour and a privilege! Thank you for the opportunity and for sharing the joy of soca to the world. We had a blast at your spot!”
Fellow artistes congratulated him including Mical Teja, Wendell Manwarren, Teddyson John, among others. TUCO (Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ also did so.
‘Lady’ brought to tears: ‘I’m excited and proud’
Montano’s mother Elizabeth “Lady” Montano told Newsday her pores raised and the performance. brought her to tears.
She said she felt a deep sense of pride, knowing how hard her son had worked over the years.
She was happy to see so many positive comments under the YouTube video.
“I was explaining to Machel that there were some people (in the comments) who said they didn’t know the artiste or the genre, and then people from the Caribbean started to explain who he is, what he means to the region, how long he has been doing (music)…
“I am always proud of him. He loves and represents music, the culture, the people of TT and the Caribbean.”
She was also happy the band was made up of Caribbean people.
“There were Bajans, Trinis, people who went far back with him…He always puts this effort into what he does, because he knows the meaning and the purpose.”
Although she was in the US at the time, she was unable to attend the live recording.
But, she said, “Remember, I was there from the beginning of his career. So there were memories of all the work he has put in over the years, and I felt this joy to see everything come together.
“When I saw the songs he chose, I knew why he chose them, I knew why he did them in a particular way.”
Musicians honoured to be part of history
Of the musicians who accompanied Montano, jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles said being on Tiny Desk was “a huge deal” for him.
He said the way he found out about it was a bit funny.
“I was on tour in New York and Machel called me out of the blue and told me he was doing a 50th-birthday show at the Kennedy Center, then he added, ‘Oh, and we’re doing a Tiny Desk concert (that same day).’”
He was grateful and happy “that NPR had the vision to bring soca into the mix…
“To see soca music from the English-speaking Caribbean being featured is always special.”
Seeing all the Caribbean flags in the audience warmed his heart.
Keyboardist Bayete Williams, part of Montano’s band for several years, said this was “another honour on a long chain…
“Machel plays on a number of very large stages. We have played at the Apollo Theater, Madison Square Garden, we’ve played in Japan…”
He was very proud of the performance, explaining that the style of music was different from the soca star’s “usual high-energy” ones…
“We had some rules…no in-ear monitors, no headphones, no digital percussion…”
So the energy was “way more organic.
“Yet still the mandate was to bring soca to the world. So with that in mind, we took up the challenge, and I think we put together a (good) show.
“Even some of (NPR’s) technical (team) left their posts and came in the audience to party with us,” he said, laughing.
He said the performance introduced soca to new demographics.
He praised his fellow musicians, dubbing them “all stars” and “masters of their craft.”
Williams, who is also a mixing engineer, said NPR did well presenting the sound of soca.
NPR’s audio technical director was Josh Newell and audio engineer, Tiffany Vera Castro.
Percussionists Rhys Thompson and Modupe Onilu were also honoured to have been part of it.
Thompson said he has always enjoyed Tiny Desk concerts, and having been part of one is still mind-blowing – it never crossed his mind he would someday be there.
“It was a bit nerve-racking,” he admitted, but said the audience helped with the energy on set.
He was supposed to go on vacation around the time it was filmed, but when he found out he was to be on Tiny Desk: “My jaw literally dropped to the floor.”
Onilu’s heart “skipped a beat” when he heard.
“I started to get excited – and I’m not one to really get excited like that. It was just a phenomenal moment to hear those words as a gig.”
He has played on big stages before, but considers this the biggest yet.
“Having this be the first display of soca music there, I’m honoured to be part of the history and such a cultural platform.”
He, too, praised NPR for the sound.
“Usually, the percussions are the last thing you have to force your ears to hear in a live recording. But the first thing someone told me this morning was, ‘I actually heard your drums and your instruments.’ They did an amazing job.”
Even now the video is out, guitarist Kyle Peters said he is still in disbelief.
“Even while being there, just knowing I was in the same space a lot of these huge artistes have been before…artistes that I have looked up to – that was incredible.”
Despite the name Tiny Desk, he was still surprised just how small the space was.
But: “NPR made us feel very comfortable and we still got to make the space our own and have a good time. That day was definitely significant and huge.
“And then getting up this morning to see the final thing, which I’ve been waiting on, was great. They did exceptionally well, and kudos to the (sound) engineer. They kept the energy and it sounded clean.”
He said this is a great feat for soca and TT culture.
Bajan drummer Melvin Alick called it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“It’s very humbling just to know that the opportunity was extended to us.”
Like Williams, he explained the performance was very technical, owing to the restrictions.
“So we are there trying to listen to each other, keep everything in time, play with energy, but at the same time, not be too loud…a whole bunch of different dynamics.
“But I’m really glad it came out well and we were still able to get the energy of what soca music is, to still translate the same way without it overpowering (Montano).”
He said the audience “had a blast.”
He praised those who were part of Montano’s band before him for paving the way for many of today’s successes.
“If you think about the legacy of coming after Kitch (Kernal Roberts) – who, to me, is the most incredible soca drummer to ever live – what he did and achieved and accomplished with Machel really laid the foundation for where these things are…
“If you think back to the HD (band) days, they took soca to a whole other level. So for us to even get here is really off of their foundation.”
He called the performance a celebration of soca and all who have had an impact on the genre since its creation.