Machel Montano

Trinidadian singer-songwriter Machel Montano won his first soca competition at age 9, and at 13 he was the youngest person ever to win the Caribbean Song Festival. ∙ In 2007, he reinvented his legendary soca band Xtatik as Machel Montano HD, claiming to be “the first human being to go HD.” ∙ Montano is a seven-time winner at the International Soca Monarch competition, often called the “Super Bowl of soca music.” ∙ The remix video for his 2014 dancehall electro-pop collaboration with Major Lazer and Ariana Grande, “All My Love,” has racked up 71 million views. ∙ His soca-with-a-supercharger single, “Ministry of Road (M.O.R.),” earned Montano the BET Soul Train Award for Best International Performance in 2014. ∙ G.O.A.T., featuring such guests as Bunji Garlin and Ashanti, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart in 2019.