This week, Trinidadian musician Machel Montano made history by becoming the first soca artist to appear on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series. He joined the ranks of musicians like Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Usher, Babyface and the hundreds of others to grace the NPR Music headquarters – and more importantly, the ‘junky’ desk where legends perform – and other legends are discovered by new audiences.
For a lot of musicians, appearing on this series is perhaps a rite of passage in their musical career. For others, though, particularly for artists with less visibility among North American audiences (read: white, mainstream audiences) and specifically less access to these crowds, it can be a career milestone that propels someone into the next phase of their career. So what does it mean for Machel Montano? And more importantly, who is Machel Montano?
It's a question dare not asked in most Caribbean households. For those who know him, grew up with his music and his never-ending discography, his songs were the soundtrack of our childhood. His name carries weight, power and influence. And while he may not be known on a first name basis everywhere, particularly outside of the Caribbean, you’ve likely heard some of his music without even knowing it - considering he’s made hits with stars like Ariana Grande, Lil John, Pitbull, Major Lazer and Boyz II Men.
At just nine years old, Machel rose to fame thanks to a song called “Too Young to Soca”, which he performed at a celebration called Dimanche Gras. The song is an anthem and he still pays homage to it to this day, including in a new 2025 hit called “Bet Meh”. That song laid the foundation for a fruitful career that would see him adapt effortlessly to the many different phases in his musical journey, which included periods of performing with the legendary calypso band Xtatik, star in a movie called Bazodee, make his mark on U.S. Billboard charts, and sell out concerts in Madison Square Garden on more than one occasion.
For most Caribbean artists, the path Machel has carved out for himself is but a pipe dream. But seeing him smash ceiling after ceiling held firmly in place by Western music norms and standards is one of the many things that fuel soca artists with the stamina to deliver high-energy performances, which we see every time Bajan artist Lil Rick takes the stage; toe-tapping, liberating hits, like this one by Farmer Nappy; and genius lyricism, brought to us by artists like Bunji Garlin. It's for these reasons that Machel’s appearance on the Tiny Desk concertseries is a true opportunity to look at what the platform gives to some of the most well-deserving artists.
In recent years, there’s been a major shift in music culture. Despite the powerhouses that easily and frequently dominate radio and Billboard charts, people like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Bruno Mars, who all appear to be mainstays, fans of music are also actively seeking out new artists, new music, new sounds. Or, in Machel’s case, old artists that may be new to them. While streaming certainly comes with its pros and cons, it’s undeniable that the ease and availability of being able to access an artist’s music from wherever you are has been a gamechanger for lesser-known artists when it comes to visibility. But you can’t look for music without knowing what and who to look for. And this is what the Tiny Desk concert series does best – it puts artists on the radar of people who will find genuine enjoyment in their music.
This past December, when Doechii had her Tiny Desk concert, it sparked a lot of conversation online about why her career and originality hadn’t taken her further. Her performance was lauded for its ‘nostalgia and utter brilliance’. And in the month following her appearance, she had her highest sales week for her mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, a full 19 weeks after it was released. But that is also the power of appearing on this concert series – and it makes sense, considering the YouTube account for NPR Music boasts a following of nearly 11 million people, clearly invested in the art of music.
The other thing this concert series does really well is showcase an artist’s versatility – since it’s an intimate concert with a live band. I don’t think anyone had Juvenile and Mannie Fresh performing the 1998 hit “Back That Azz Up” on a national forum, but hey, it happened. And not only did it sound amazing, but this appearance on Tiny Desk got nearly 10 million views.
For Machel, Juvenile and Mannie Fresh, these are all men approaching or past the age of 50. There is something to be said about the life one of these performances can inject into a career that is, in a lot of ways, in its second act. The fact that older artists like Chaka Khan, Teedra Moses and Sheila E., along with these men, have been able to showcase their talent on this platform helps break down the barriers age often plays in the perception of vitality in any person’s music career.
The Tiny Desk concert series also serves as a way to remember artists we’ve lost – though I highly doubt the producers who originated this concept could have ever imagined it being a beacon of remembrance, or a way of coping with grief. When Mac Miller died in September 2018, viewers flocked to his performance from just one month prior. To this day, there are comments on the recording of his concert on NPR’s YouTube channel, reading:
Every time I see a tiny desk performance I come back to Mac. It’s may 2024 and I guarantee I’ll be back to it again. Anyone else here?
That comment has over 24,000 thumbs up reactions and 400 replies. There’s also this comment that reads:
it's a weird feeling to miss someone you never actually knew.
Both of these sentiments highlight the power of music, the impact it has on our daily lives, and how much we weave our musical tastes into our identities and how we move through the world. The fact that they prioritize things like Black Music Month and Latin Music Month means not only do artists get visibility, but listeners do, too. The importance of giving musicians - that perhaps are not topping charts in the U.S., but certainly the charts in our hearts and homelands – visibility, opportunity, time and an audience cannot be overstated.
All of this highlights the need for diverse producers and writers, team members that aren’t afraid to go off the beaten path, to take risks, and to have care and consideration in their work. It’s why I was so thrilled when MC joined the team to share his musical expertise with all of us, which he does in his weekly Music Lounge column. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Michael in the past and he does not limit himself when it comes to music. He reminds us that the art of sound knows no bounds.
We got that same reminder this week from Nikki Birch, the Bajan-born, ‘Saint-Lucian bred gyal’, as she refers to herself in the writeup of Machel’s performance. She wrote that Machel’s performance made her ‘beam with pride’. But I hope Nikki knows that there was an army of Caribbean people, both back home and throughout the diaspora beaming even brighter, because of the little piece of home she helped us and so many others experience.
