Caribbean Export OUTLOOK 2016

reached a point where she recognized she just

couldn’t take the band where it needed to go,

and the search for the right person to take over

began in earnest.

“I was able to take him to the Diaspora, but when

it came to moving forward, I couldn’t take it

further,” she admits.

Luckily, noted photographer and producer Che

Kothari, who also manages new age reggae icon

Protoje, came into their lives and agreed to take

over as Machel’s manager.

“Machel’s sense of branding is built on

maintaining relevance and right now we are in

the digital age. Everything is about technology.

Che is much more knowledgeable in this area.”

Not only isMachel moving into the technological

era in a big way with a revamped website, live

streams, digital media and a recently launched

app, but Elizabeth is also ensuring the legacy and

history of the journey remains and the Machel

Montano Museum was this year added to the

franchise.

“I have everything from since we started. Nobody

taught me to do that. We researched from early

and learnt that cataloguing was important,” she

says.

So what has Elizabeth learnt from her years as

both a mother and integral part of arguably the

most successful human branding initiative in

the Caribbean?

“I learnt firsthand what is necessary to build a

successful child. Support and parenting play a

huge part in a child’s success. Machel always had

a massive support system and was able to build

up the core values needed for success. I look back

now and see the effects of good parenting.”

With the eyes of the world tuning into

Caribbean music, due to the two consecutive

Best International Performance titles copped by

soca artistes at the BET Soul TrainMusic Awards,

various government and private Caribbean

bodies are also beginning to look inward at the

marketability of the art form. Elizabeth however

stresses that artistes need to ensure they are

equipped with the necessary skills and business

acumen to stand above the rest, as she has ensured

her son does.

“It has to start with the artiste. You have to prepare

a product worthy of notice. On this end, people

are very wary about financial backing but you

too have to invest in yourself. We started 33

years ago and it has always been important to

us to do this. Managers and management teams

need to be in place. So many artistes do not have

something as simple as a bio. Also, proper skills

are also necessary, not only on how tomanage the

business but how tomanage your sound. Machel

studied Engineering and Production inOhio and

we surround ourselves with trained persons.

Trinidadians are good with hands-on learning

but we need certification. This is a competitive

world. Youwill eventually reach a level where the

‘know-how’ may not be enough.”

Already, initiatives such as the music arm of

the State-owned Trinidad and Tobago Creative

Industries Company Limited (CreativeTT’),

MusicTT, have created workshops on song

writing, music production, IP valuation, etc. and

the prototype has been conceptualized, tested and

determined by the work of the Montanos.

“There are a lot of people interested in Machel

right now and looking to see who else is coming.

Soca is happy, celebratorymusic and people need

that positive vibe around the globe. The world

is ripe for our music and now our artistes and

industries have to prepare,” Elizabeth says.

This is a competitive world. You will eventually reach

a level where the ‘know-how’ may not be enough.

Tishanna Williams is a Lecturer at the University of the West Indies and Journalist with Guardian Media Ltd

(TT) and LargeUp (NY/JA) whose work was recently nominated for the CTO Caribbean Media Award (NY).

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