Photo courtesy: Anil Mathi/MONK Music Group
On August 25th the Mayor of New York Presented the Entertainer’s Key to the City of NY to Machel Montano, in conjunction with the Rise Up NYC Concert Series and The Apollo.
Fresh from his sold-out performances at Barbados’s
Crop Over celebrations earlier this month, reigning Calypso Monarch and soca superstar,
Machel Montano, will begin a series of high-profile performances in London and New York City,
culminating in a four-night residency at Harlem’s iconic Apollo Theater.
This exciting tour kicked off in the UK on August 23rd where, for the first time in eight years,
Montano will perform, backed by his full live band and dancers, at Tipsy Dreamland during
Notting Hill Carnival celebrations inside the legendary OVO Arena Wembley. This is the first all soca arena show in London featuring an incredible lineup of soca superstars – Bunji Garlin,
Alison Hinds, Skinny Fabulous, Fay-Ann Lyons, and Mical Teja!
From London, Montano headed to New York where on August 25th the iconic artist received
the Entertainer’s Key to the City, bestowed by the Mayor of New York, in conjunction with the
Rise Up NYC Concert Series and The Apollo. Montano will headlined the free concert ceremony
and celebration on that day, at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York.
His Apollo residency will take place over the US Labour Day weekend from August 30th to
September 2nd in an historic series of concerts featuring special guests.
“It has been my lifelong dream to play at the Apollo Theater, one of the most iconic and
legendary entertainment venues in the world. Its rich history and tradition, not to mention the
enduring connections between the Harlem community and the Caribbean, make this an
incredible honour for me,” Montano said.
Montano, who added another major title to his decorated career in music by winning the 2024
TUCO Calypso Monarch competition in February, said his Apollo residency reflects the
continued growth and increased appeal of calypso and soca to play to large audiences and fill
major event spaces.
“This will be my first performance at The Apollo. We have performed and sold-out Madison
Square Garden in Manhattan and similarly the UBS Arena in Long Island and the Barclays Center
in Brooklyn. When I think of the many careers that began on The Apollo stage, how it has
welcomed some of the world’s greatest performers, I am very excited to join that great legacy
and tradition and showcase our music,” he said.
A special edition collection of memorabilia designed by Hip-Hop artist, Trinidad James, will be
available exclusively at The Apollo. Tickets for the event are available at
https://www.apollotheater.org/ or ticketmaster.com
To close out this residency, on Labour Day (Monday September 2nd), the reigning Calypso
Monarch will perform as a cast member of TUCO’s “Calypso Uptown, A Carnival Celebration”
concert. The show will feature performances by Lord Nelson, Rikki Jai, Mical Teja, Gypsy,
Farmer Nappy, Lyrikal, Kurt Allen, Crazy, Myron B and more. It will be hosted by Majah Hype
and Dahved Levy.
Montano said he was looking forward to reconnecting with calypso and soca fans in London
and New York and being part of the carnival celebrations in both cities.
“The Caribbean and Caribbean people have played an important role in the development of
these major cities, and we have gifted our Carnival and cultural expressions to them. I am proud
to contribute to this legacy.”
