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Machel's AC 3+3: An Overall Success
Machel Montano
TriniSoca.com Reporters
Event Date: January 26, 2008
Machel Montano has done it again! With his AC 3+3 Concert, he has proven himself, once again, to be a staying power in the local, regional and international music scene. The Alternative Concept (AC) concert series, now its sixth year running, has grown to become one of the major fetes of the Carnival season, arguably gaining the crowds of older fetes such as the once popular Brass fete.
Cross-section of the audience at AC 3+3
Thousands of patrons filled the Hasely Crawford Stadium to enjoy, not only a party, but a theatrical presentation filled with hot dance performances, international music megastars, amazing stage props and lighting effects and blasts of smoke and fire which provided scintillating effects throughout the show.
'Shaggy'
Several popular artistes came on the scene in support of Montano's concert. Anthony B, Peter C. Lewis, Allison Hinds, David Rudder, Mighty Sparrow, Shaggy and others made appearances adding different international flavors to the Soca vibrations of the Carnival season.
Machel Montano and Roy Cape
Machel's performance began with the mesmerizing sounds of African chants and drums played by several drummers with the main drummer beating a huge drum with neon lights emanating from the center. With Montano's voice heading the chants, he soon surprised the audience by bursting out of the huge drum and immediately delving into the song "No War".
Kes, Nadia Batson and the Eclectik Dancers
Some of the hot performances of the evening included Nadia Batson and Kes whose combination of melodic voices and energetic performances had the audience tizzy. The dance group, Eclectik, who performed in the segment with Kes the Band, also had the audience entertained with their well-choreographed, robotic moves. These robot-men, although moving jerkily throughout their stint on stage also demonstrated that once it came to wining, that they possessed rubber waistlines, which had the audience screaming.
Macka Diamond
Another highlight of the evening was Patrice Roberts performance which featured Jamaican Dancehall megastar, Macka Diamond. Roberts began her performance with her 2008 hit "Thunder Waist" showing throughout her performance her waist-rotating skills. When Macka Diamond came onto the scene, she received the audience's appreciation immediately with her hit "Hoola Hoop". Roberts also sang her popular hit "Wukking Up" which she sang with Macka Diamond's assistance and returned to the stage later in the programme to share the stage with the star, Machel Montano.
The "Gyal Farm" dancers
Other crowd-pleasing performances were Shall Marshall's and Kerwin DuBois' performance of "Gyal Farm" who shared the stage with their round-up, cowboy hat-wearing girls; Farmer Nappy and Jamaican Reggae star, Anthony B who performed "Chipping", much to the delight of the audience; Blaxx, who performed alongside Trini Jacons and Olatunji Yearwood with the Roy Cape band and had totally 'mashed-up' the place with his 2008 mega song, "Breathless"; Shaggy, who sharing the stage with Montano reminded the audience why he is a hot item on the world's music scene; and Reggaton superstar Pitbull, who added a much-appreciated Latin flavour to the mix.
LEFT: Slinger 'Mighty Sparrow' Francisco, Kernel Roberts and Machel Montano
Another major highlight of the show was when the Soca legend Mighty Sparrow came onto the stage giving the audience a taste of some of his legendary hits including "Congo Man" which he remixed with Montano for 2008. During the performance, Kernel Roberts came front stage to join Mighty Sparrow and Machel Montano and was asked to act in place of his father, the late, great Lord Kitchener for a photo-op with three great men of Soca. This was indeed an emotional segment for the men onstage who had celebrated Lord Kitchener's memory, praised the godfather of Soca music, Mighty Sparrow and baptized the son of Soca, Machel Montano.
Machel Montano, Patrice Roberts and dancers
Indeed the show was a fantastic one in terms of the presentation of artistes, the tightness of the programme and the fancy lighting effects. However, the sound quality, while satisfactory for the audience near stage side was not as effective for those further back who could not enjoy the full blasting effects that a concert of that magnitude should possess.
Machel Montano's 'Alternative Concept 3+3' concert in pictures:
www.trinisoca.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=89878
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