Trinidad and Tobago’s soca icon Machel Montano is being celebrated by the Brooklyn Public Library in a special exhibition highlighting his more than four decades of influence on Caribbean music and culture.
“Journey of a Soca King: The Exhibition” opened on August 22 at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library and will remain on display through September 12. The exhibition was created in partnership with the Machel Montano Foundation for Greatness and features memorabilia from Montano’s celebrated career, including performance costumes, trophies and vinyl records.
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The exhibition also offers visitors an opportunity to engage directly with Montano’s music through the library’s vinyl listening station, while photographs and other materials trace his development from a child performer in Trinidad and Tobago to one of soca’s most influential international ambassadors.
Montano began performing at just seven years old in 1982 and released his debut album, Too Young To Soca, in 1985. Over the decades, he has helped carry soca from its Trinidadian roots to audiences around the world and has become one of the genre’s most recognisable figures. The artist has also earned a record 12 Road March titles in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Brooklyn connection is a particularly significant part of the exhibition. Montano spent time in the borough at age nine after receiving a scholarship to participate in Marie Brooks’ summer programme, where he took part in workshops that helped shape his early artistic development. He later lived in Brooklyn and recorded his first Road March-winning song, “Big Truck,” there in the 1990s.
Montano’s relationship with New York has continued throughout his career. Earlier this month, he brought his “This Is The Encore” tour to Central Park for two sold-out performances, further demonstrating the enduring popularity of soca among New York’s large Caribbean community.
Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson said the exhibition reflects the institution’s commitment to preserving the histories and cultural contributions of the borough’s diverse communities. Brooklyn is home to one of the largest Caribbean populations outside the region, making it a fitting setting for an exhibition examining Montano’s impact.
For Montano, the exhibition represents more than a career retrospective. His connection to Brooklyn began during his childhood, and he has credited the borough with helping shape his artistic journey.
The exhibition is accompanied by a series of cultural programmes at library branches throughout Brooklyn, including events in neighbourhoods such as Flatbush, Crown Heights, Rugby, Clarendon and Brower Park. The programming is designed to introduce young people and adults to Caribbean music, history and culture.
The exhibition also follows the 2026 release of Like Ah Boss: Journey of a Soca King, a documentary exploring Montano’s career and his celebrated performances during Trinidad’s 2015 Carnival season. The documentary is scheduled to be projected on the exterior of Central Library on September 3.
By placing Montano’s career within a major New York cultural institution, the exhibition highlights not only the achievements of one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most celebrated performers but also the broader influence of Caribbean communities on Brooklyn’s cultural landscape.
