Machel Montano’s 50th Birthday Celebration Concert: A Black Tie Affair

The Kennedy Center announces additional Contemporary Music programming to take place in the Concert Hall on November 25, 2024, with Machel Montano’s 50th Birthday Celebration Concert: A Black Tie Affair. Following his appearance in last fall’s Club Quarantine Live with D-Nice, award−winning musician Machel Montano returns to the Kennedy Center for an historic headlining concert. Presented as a special black-tie affair, guests are invited to attend “in style” for an unforgettable evening of music in celebration of the “King of Soca’s” 50th birthday. This special occasion will be a joy-filled event befitting Montano’s storied career and lifelong mission of bringing soca to the world.

About Machel Montano
Through his ever-evolving musical offerings, multi-award−winning artist Machel Montano works on his mission of propelling soca into the domain of mainstream music. From a career beginning at age seven, Montano has achieved countless accomplishments—highlights include performing at Madison Square Garden at age nine, performing on Star Search at age eleven, becoming the first soca artist to attain a headlining slot at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, touring with Pitbull, making history as a two-time recipient of The Bob Marley Award for Entertainer of the Year at Martins International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA), winning a Soul Train Award in 2014, 10 Road Marches and 7 Power Soca Monarch titles in Trinidad & Tobago, and performing at Coachella with Major Lazer. In 2018, Montano received an honorary doctorate in the arts from The University of Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, Montano was inducted in to the Young, Gifted & Black Caribbean Music Entertainment ICON Hall of Fame and received an award from Harvard University’s Caribbean Club for Entertainer of the Year in 2021 and received the lifetime achievement award from the Caribbean Music Awards in 2023. He will also receive the Entertainer’s Key to the City of New York on August 25, 2024. Poised and focused on spreading soca music throughout the globe, Montano has toured extensively in fulfillment of his mission and has continued to revolutionize the genre.