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the beat ~\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\~ OVERHEARD SPOTLIGHT BY SELMA FONSECA - No Weddings For Tedder An Island King Goes Global Ryan Tedder doesn’t do Your favorite pop star’s favorite soca singer, Machel Montano, is headed to the big screen weddings. The prolific songwriter played an exclusive show with his band BY PATRICIA MESCHINO OneRepublic at the Red Bull Sound Space at AMP Radio HETHER JOINING RIHANNA TO Montano of the movie, which Indiepelago Films will in Los Angeles on July 21 and perform “Bitch Better Have My release to 200 screens nationwide. “Reggae music did afterward told Overheard he’ll Money” in her native Barbados or what it did, and I think now soca can do the same.” no longer sing at weddings appearing in Nicki Minaj’s Trinidad- Raised in South Trinidad, Montano first hit the “because nothing makes me Wset “Pound the Alarm” video, Machel Montano island’s Carnival circuit in 1986 as a precocious more nervous.” As Tedder is the go-to for providing island-ready assists to 11-year-old singing the fitting anthem “Too Young sees it, “If you forget a lyric or pop stars. Though his name may not be familiar to Soca.” By his late teens, he had started incorpo- fall onstage, you can always in the United States, Montano’s music — soca, the rating elements of hip-hop and dancehall into his do another show. But with upbeat, feverishly fast descendant of calypso that music to create a modern soca sound, with mid-’90s a wedding, that’s it.” fuels Carnival celebrations around the world — has Tedder also talked about influenced everyone from Major Lazer (which OneRepublic’s yet-to-be- paired him with Ariana Grande for 2014 track “All titled new album, which is My Love”) to Drake, who booked the 41-year-old “Drake was No. 1 with a slated for a fall release. Trinidad native to headline his annual OVO Fest hip-hop song influenced It took 18 months to in Toronto on July 30. “Drake was just No. 1 on the record, “the longest Billboard Hot 100 with ‘One Dance’ — a hip-hop by soca.” — MONTANO amount of time we song influenced by soca music,” says Montano. have ever spent on “We’re contributing to the mainstream in a major one project,” he said. Tedder way: There’s soca in Justin Bieber’s ‘Sorry,’ too. That Carnival classics like the frenetic “Big Truck” and “We did a lot of living makes me even more focused on my role right now.” “Toro Toro” catapulting him to the top of the genre. in the last four years — Having taken the genre from New York’s Madison Having conquered the local festival scene, Montano there was a lot to write Square Garden (five sold-out shows, most recently in turned his focus global: 2014’s Happiest Man Alive about.” The tracks 2011) to the White House (twice during the Obama (Mad Bull Music), for example, featured both came together in some administration), Montano’s role as the global Nigeria’s Timaya and Boyz II Men. His ener- far-flung locations: ambassador for soca is expanding. On getic live performances, though, remain the “Kids,” which Tedder Aug. 5 the artist makes his acting debut as backbone of his celebrity, reliably trans- said will be the lead the star of Bazodee, a soca musical that forming audience s of tens of thousands into single, was created in also draws inspiration from Bollywood ecstatic, flag-waving and gyrating (or as Japan and Mexico City. (Trinidad and India were both British islanders call it, wining) masses. He also is working on colonies). “It’s important to put a film out “Machel is the greatest at fusing soca a movie soundtrack that tells the story of Caribbean culture, with everything else going on in music, which with Stevie Wonder. alongside the story of soca music,” says is why he’s so successful,” says fellow O/GETTY IMAGES. Trinidadian and Grammy Sting Serenades Trudie Right: Montano. Below: Montano as Award-winning songwriter Lee de Leon and Natalie Perera as Sting played a benefit for Anita Panchouri in a still from Bazodee. Angela Hunte (Jay Z, conservation group Oceana at Bottom, from left: Montano with Major Britney Spears), whose Lazer and rapper Riff Raff at the 2014 the Hollywood Hills home of Ultra Festival in Miami. Montano coll aboration manager-producer and Oceana “Party Done” will ETTY IMAGES. STING: MICHAEL LOCCISAN board president Keith appear on the Bazodee Addis on July 19, but soundtrack. “He’s as there were moments close as he ever has IMAGES/GR: SAV/GC when he seemed to be been to a mainstream playing exclusively for breakthrough.” Sting his wife, Trudie Styler. To Montano, The former Police frontman there never has been OWARNIK/WORLD RED EYE. TEDDE wouldn’t start the show until a better time for soca to go he had located Styler in the international — and fans like crowd, which included Oceana Meghan Trainor and Sean S. DIPLO: SETH BR co-founder Ted Danson and his Paul (who joined Montano INI PICTURE wife, Mary Steenburgen. After for “One Wine”) agree. “It performing the romantic “Fields has been a really deliberate of Gold,” which includes the lyric focus by my management to “Will you stay with me, will you look toward the influence be my love,” Sting pointed at Caribbean music can have on NK. BAZODEE: COURTESY OF SERAF Styler and said, “I always think the world,” says Montano. of you when I sing that.” “Soca is based on seeing past RUICKSHA barriers, and that is more Got gossip? Send to [email protected]. relevant today than ever.” 0 MONTANO: JERMAINE C 36 BILLBOARD | AUGUST 6, 2016.

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