The pied piper or just good marketing?

Hail up the trinis in Korea who have messaged Lehwego.  Thanks for sharing the love.

Let’s start by saying that I am a big machel fan and have been trying to keep this post level and objective despite the feelings of wild abandon mr. HD’s music provides.

First a little about the man from Wikipedia.

Montano (born 24 November 1974, Trinidad and Tobago) is a soca singer, record producer and songwriter based in the Trinidad and Tobago.

Born in Carenage (West Trinidad), his family moved to Siparia, South Trinidad when he was very young. Machel attended Siparia Boys’ R.C., then Presentation College, San Fernando, a prestigious secondary school in San Fernando, South Trinidad where he was in the choir led by Mrs. Cynthia Lee-Mack. Machel first shot to fame as a 9 year-old boy with the song “Too Young To Soca” while he was still in primary school. In 1984, along with his older brother Marcus and neighbours the group Pranasonic Express was started and in 1989, the band became Xtatik.

 He is now the frontman of the popular soca band The HD Family, and is noted for his high energy, fast-paced, and often unpredictable on-stage performances. During his career, which spans over 25 years, he has recorded several songs alongside many of Caribbean music’s most popular acts. In 1987 he was the youngest finalist to ever win the Caribbean Song Festival. He now stands as one of the most well-known soca acts in the world, using his leverage as an artist able to sell-out shows. Recently he has moved to the Los Angeles area.

He is very well known in New York and has had sold out concerts in Madison Square Gardens many times over.

Now the real meat of this blog is the question……is Machel reaaaaally that good or is it just marketing hype?

I will first take the side of the fan:

Ever since I got into this soca and carnival obsession (wording suggested by wifey) there has been ONE artist who has consistently had hit…after hit…..after hit.

I remember “big truck” in my youth as the first time hearing the man and as far as I am concerned the man has rarely made any flop songs.

He almost never wins any prizes for carnival but if you think back carefully he annually has at LEAST 2 songs that were MAD! From slow groovy to wild and hype he always delivers and has tended recently to push the envelope taking soca in the direction of dance music.

From the view of impartial observers:

I have been told that his songs are not really any better than any of the other annual hits and that it’s just the hype and resulting peer pressure that make people say he is that good.

His lyrics are usually forgettable and most of his vast array of music have not gone on to become “classics”.

 

In Jamaica we have talents artists like vibez Kartel who despite being a weirdo and possibly a murderer cannot be denied the title of being a talented artist with MANY a hit song. In fact I don’t want to like his music but it’s just that good (world boss!). In my opinion Machel is the soca world boss/pied piper. Where will he lead us for 2012? On de road de road de road!!

 

Share your views.  Am I right or am i just one of many sheeple under his spell?

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