Machel Montano HD Joins Lineup for the 2012 St. Kitts Music Festival

Machel Montana

ZIZ News…April 25 2012 — The most electrifying soca artist in the world has been added to the “Sweet Sixteen” edition of the Annual St. Kitts Music Festival, which takes place on Thursday, June 28 to Saturday, June 30.

Chairman of the Executive Committee of the St. Kitts Music Festival, Faron Lawrence, revealed that Machel Montana HD will be performing on Thursday, which is the first night of the three-night festival.

“Montano is an award winning soca artiste who will complement the exciting mixture of Caribbean and international acts being put together for this year’s event,” Lawrence said. “He now stands as one of the most well-known soca acts in the world, using his leverage as an artiste able to sell-out shows.”

Montano has released many successful singles during his career, such as “Big Truck”, “Outa Space”, “Music Farm”, “It’s Carnival” and “Jumbie”. He is the frontman of the popular soca band The HD Family, and is loved for his high energy, fast-paced, and often unpredictable on-stage performances.

During his career, which spans over 30 years, Montano has recorded several songs alongside many of Caribbean music’s most popular acts such as Alison Hinds, Beenie Man, Burning Flames, Wyclef Jean, Shaggy, Sparrow, Destra, Vybz Kartel, G-Unit, David Rudder, Buju Banton, Mr. Vegas, Pitbull and many others.

The enigmatic soca artiste has won numerous soca awards from all over the world including the Bob Marley Award Entertainer of the Year 2007, Best Calypso/Soca entertainer 2007, and named the Most Outstanding Stage Personality at the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) at the historic Apollo Theatre in New York. That year also found Machel receiving an award at the first Annual BET J Virtual Awards for Best Caribbean Artiste of the Year.

In 2011, Machel won the International Soca Monarch competition a fierce night of competition.

In the end, Machel walked away with theTT$2 million dollar prize and the first International Soca Monarch title of his career. He then went on to win the Carnival Road March title with the same hit Advantage’ by a landslide victory. This year, Machel once again won the International Power Soca Monarch with the song Pump Yuh Flag. He also won the Groovy Soca Monarch title and then topped off the Carnival Season in Trinidad & Tobago, by winning the Road March Title with Pump Yuh Flag.

Machel Montano is the latest of an impressive St. Kitts Music Festival lineup, which include Roberta Flack, Damian Marley, Courtney Pine, Omarion, Morgan Heritage, Krosfyah, I-Octane and Popcaan.

Now in its 16th year, the Festival attracts both locals and visitors alike. It features a wide range of musical styles on the popular market, including R&B, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, Gospel and Contemporary music. Past artistes have included such prominent acts as John Legend, T-Pain, Michael Bolton, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, UB40’s Ali Campbell, Wyclef Jean, Ne-Yo, Air Supply, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, The Commodores, Dionne Warwick, Billy Ocean, Sean Paul, Boyz II Men, King Konris, Stephen Marley, Regina Belle, Maxi Priest, Biggie Irie, Bunny Wailer and Lord Nelson.