Soca star Machel Montano will be presented with the keys to the city of Port of Spain on July 22, a part of Tribe’s SunsetWKN experience.
The band’s SunsetWKN will be held from July 22-24 and it will reveal its 2023 presentations for all six bands under its umbrella on July 23.
Port of Spain mayor Joel Martinez said a decision was made in 2020 to present Montano with the keys to the city. These plans were, however, delayed because of the pandemic.
This year, it planned to present him with the keys at its Municipal City Awards which took place on June 24 at Mille Fleurs but, at that time, Montano was out of the country.
“Ultimate Events (Tribe) made a presentation to us. They wanted to do a three-day presentation with a mayor’s parade which would be launching their band,” Martinez said
[caption id="attachment_965839" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Machel Montano. -[/caption]
He said the mayor’s parade was intended to highlight the city and it was a way for Tribe to give back to the city and the Woodbrook community.
When Tribe made the presentation, Martinez decided it was the perfect opportunity to present Montano with the keys.
Montano is being awarded for his 40 years of soca music to Trinidad and Tobago and the world, he said.
SunsetWKN is presenting a new style of Carnival and band launchings that the creative director of the Tribe Group Valmiki Maharaj hopes will build on TT’s eco-tourism, Carnival and craft-related experiences.
[caption id="attachment_965841" align="alignnone" width="892"] Valmiki Maharaj creative director of of Tribe Group. -[/caption]
In a media release about the event Tribe said, “SunsetWKN, the launch of the Tribe Family of Bands’ (TRIBE FOB) Carnival 2023 presentation, is a condensation of Carnival experiences into three days, kicking off on Friday evening with a cultural spectacle dubbed the Ariapita Street Theatre.
"The event, which is free to the public, starts at 7 pm at Ana Street on Ariapita Avenue, and elements of the presentation will unfold at various stops along the avenue. ”
Maharaj said doing this was a dream of his for a really long time.
“What we are producing here, I would describe as the beginning of the dream. I have so many huge plans for this over the next five years. I don’t want to be doing this for one year only.”
[caption id="attachment_965843" align="alignnone" width="1024"] FILE: Models show off costumes from Tribe mas. Tribe will launch its 2023 Carnival presentation with SunsetWKN which begins today on Ariapita Avenue in Woodbrook and costumes will be revealed on July 23. -[/caption]
The weekend came from the brand wanting to amplify its voice in the national conversation of culture and brand TT, Maharaj said.
He felt it was important for Tribe to begin its launch with an open, free parade that people could come to in the spirit of community.
“To really see us in a different light,” he said.
While, Maharaj said, this has
