He came in like a boss and by the end of what turned out to be a six hour long showcase of global music, Machel Montano came in for praise among fans who came out in their numbers on Machel Monday in Trinidad. The Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain was filled to capacity, by all accounts and even with the General Admission patrons being forced to view things from quite a distance, the vibe at the much touted and anticipated annual event, was on point.

Machel Montano sings, “Pop A Bottle” at Machel Monday. PHOTO CREDIT: MachelMontano via INSTAGRAM

Montano made his grand entrance into the venue at around 9:45pm, leading a  drum line from the car park of the stadium, through the tunnel and onto the stage, his fans looking on in awe. Stage side, Montano’s accompanying dancers and drummers towered over him from several decks that were erected over the main stage area. Screens provided patrons with an up close view of his every move and when the sound of his larger that life hit single blared, the stadium erupted. “I does do it like a boss,”- it was a refrain that could be heard miles away at that very moment and there was no doubt that Machel had arrived.

Machel referred to Farmer Nappy as his family on stage at Machel Monday. Both Farmer and Patrice Roberts are no longer linked to Montano’s band, however. PHOTO CREDIT: MachelMontano via INSTAGRAM

The night was filled with numerous acts, local, regional and international. Creativity seemed to have been explored and infused in every possible way on stage- this as the Monk changed several times, delivering to his fans an image for every feeling he projected . His  recently released track, “On My Way,” introduced a level of introspection on show night, Montano’s words seemingly calling on every Trinbagonian to assess their appreciation for country and make changes for the betterment of Trinidad and Tobago. On several occasions he called for love and when former HD bandmates, Farmer Nappy and Patrice Roberts were introduced, Machel referred to them as his family. He said he began Xtatic with Farmer Nappy, crediting him and thanking him for his years of dedication. With Roberts, he sang two duets, the new single, “Great Parade” and the single that won them the road march title, “Band Of The Year,” but before that, Montano had brought on Bajan beauty, Alison Hinds and the artiste he referred to as one of the best songwriters around, Nadia Batson. Batson took the opportunity to thank Machel, telling him, ” If no one has ever thanked you, I thank you for your love and your music.”

From Major Lazer’s, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire, dancehall artistes, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Chris Martin and Beenie Man, to the legendary Fat Man Scoop and 6-year-old Papa J, the entertainment seemed never-ending. Each regional act performed their hits, Beenie Man getting the crowd’s attention like no other. Some felt Sean Paul’s performance lacked in many areas, but despite that, the show was touted by Montano as the first without hiccup. A vocally melodic performance with female soca artiste, Destra Garcia would lead to some speculation that there was more to their relationship than just music, but that is certainly just speculation. Love certainly took centre stage as the duo showed fans that they had buried any differences, Destra singing Adelle’s “Someone Like You” and to that Machel responded with Bob Marley’s, “No Woman, No Cry.” In the end, their relationship seemed stronger than ever.

Machel Montano performs on stage with Angela Hunte. PHOTO CREDIT: Jo Wheeler.

Machel Monday definitely started the Carnival countdown right. Montano’s performance with international singer and songwriter, Angela Hunte, may have been the best for the night, Hunte becoming emotional as she held on to Montano at the end of their performance of “Party Done,” the entertainer who was raised in T&T, telling Monk Monte that being on stage in Trinidad was a dream come true.

Machel next performs at Destra’s House of Bakanal at O2 Park this Wednesday. Even amid the aftermath of what may have been one of his best events to date however, there remain dark clouds over his parade as newspaper reports this morning indicated that organizers of Fatima Fete are now calling for the soca megastar to apologize for  his “deplorable” behavior at their fete, held just two days before Machel Monday.