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BROOKLYN, New York — Trinidad and Tobago soca icon Machel Montano received multiple official honours in New York on Thursday, September 3, as thousands gathered outside the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library for a landmark celebration of his life, music and Caribbean legacy.

The capacity event featured an outdoor screening of Like Ah Boss: Journey of a Soca King, with scenes from Montano’s remarkable career projected across the façade of the historic library. Crowds filled the plaza and extended towards the surrounding streets near Grand Army Plaza.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez issued a proclamation recognising Montano’s contributions to soca, Caribbean culture and Brooklyn’s cultural landscape.

New York State Assembly Member Brian Cunningham also presented a citation honouring the internationally acclaimed performer, songwriter and cultural ambassador. A separate Assembly citation from Monique Chandler-Waterman recognised Montano and the Machel Montano Foundation for Greatness.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams congratulated the artiste, noting his decades-long connection to Brooklyn and the wider Caribbean community.

The screening formed part of Journey of a Soca King: The Exhibition, presented by the Brooklyn Public Library and created by the Machel Montano Foundation for Greatness. The exhibition features costumes, trophies, records and other items documenting Montano’s journey from a young Trinidadian performer to an internationally recognised soca star.

Montano began performing at seven and has spent more than four decades carrying the energy and sound of Trinidad and Tobago onto stages worldwide.

For Caribbean nationals in New York, the evening was more than a screening. It was a powerful celebration of soca’s growing global influence—and of an artiste whose story remains closely connected to Brooklyn.

The exhibition continues at the Central Library through September 12.

Source: Trinidad and Tobago Guardian and Brooklyn Public Library.