The mother of 2014 TUCO/Vibe CT 105FM Road March champion Machel Montano is predicting he will be back to collect many more titles. Elizabeth Montano made the comment yesterday after she collected on his behalf a brand new red Mitsubishi Lancer, the prize for his 2014 runaway hit Ministry of Road, at Diamond Motors, Port-of-Spain, showroom. “This is the sixth car Machel has received from Diamond Motors,” she told those gathered for the prize distribution ceremony.
“The first is still going strong. The other we sold and divided the money and this one we are going to dedicate to the HD family… those who do all the work in the background. “You all know Machel loves his culture and soca music and he has given 33 years of his life to soca music. He is going to be 40 and he’s still giving his best.” She said Machel’s 2015 road march offering has already been written and there was no doubt in her mind that he was going to take the title again next year.
Montano is currently in Los Angeles working on some new musical material. But he phoned in to thank the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (Tuco) and Vibe CT 105FM, part of the Trinidad Broadcasting Company (TBC) network, for their continued support for the calypso and soca artform in T&T. Montano also thanked the producers and everyone else who contributed to his winning selection this year.
Tuco and Vibe City 105FM are two of the main sponsors of the Road March competition title. This year marked the 16th year the competition was recognised as the Tuco/Vibe CT 105FM National Road March competition.
TBC promotions manager Stefan Williams, who spoke at the presentation, said Vibe CT 105FM teamed up with Tuco in 1999 to ensure that the national road march winner was adequately rewarded. He said thanks to other corporate sponsors like Diamond Motors, Shell Helix and Race Track Wheels, an attractive prize package worthy of the title had been developed.
As this year’s winner, Montano received a prize package worth in excess of $200,000, in addition to further branding in excess of $500,000. Speaking at the event, Tuco president Lutalo “Brother Resistance” Masimba said they were hoping to make the prize package even more attractive in the not too distant future.
“Tuco, Vibe CT 105FM and TBC have had a very strong and longstanding relationship in promoting this calypso and soca artform. And I think it’s time we sit down and talk about how we could further up the standard of the prize package for our road march title winner,” Masimba said.
He said this year marked 100 years since the first calypso song was recorded and it was time more was done for the artform and the people like Montano, who had been consistent in keeping it alive and pushing it towards international status.
