Machel Montano & Ashanti premieres ‘The Road’ Music Video

Written by: Nekisha Cyrus

It’s a Summer Carnival Fiesta as the King of Soca, Machel Montano and Grammy Award-winning Singer, Ashanti releases their brand new music video for their hit soca collab ‘The Road’.

According to Billboard, the two initially connected back in 2015 after Ashanti performed at Wet Fete Weekend in Tobago and decided to include a cover of Machel’s hit single ‘Like Ah Boss’ during her set. She later posted a clip of the cover on her Instagram and tagged Machel, who then suggested a collaboration.

Fast forward to present, the collab is now a reality after the successful release of their energetic soca and EDM (electronic dance music) fused track, ‘The Road’ which was produced by Travis World and recorded at the Brooklyn’s Rawlston Recording Studio. Machel further shocked his fans earlier this year when he announced that Ashanti will be performing at his annual Carnival concert extravaganza ‘Machel Monday’.

Ashanti and Machel performing at ‘Machel Monday’ 2019

Although it was her first time doing soca music and experiencing Trinidad Carnival, Ashanti definitely embraced the music and culture with ease. During Machel’s interview with Billboard, he shared that he initially had Rihanna in mind for the single, but the timing wasn’t right for her. So he decided that Ashanti was a great choice because he wanted an artiste from her market to sing a song aimed at our market (the soca world) and ‘The Road’ definitely delivered that. Ashanti also stated that she feels blessed to have fully experienced Trinidad’s Carnival and record a soca song with an icon of the genre.

The music video depicts the picturesque carnival activities as experienced by masqueraders parading through the streets of Port of Spain and was filmed at various carnival events that Machel and Ashanti attended including J’ouvert and Carnival Monday and Tuesday. Scenes were also shot on Ash Wednesday at Trinidad’s Tyrico Beach where Ashanti is seen in a headdress adorned with purple, yellow and teal feathers and a string bikini, embellished with multi-coloured beads. The video was directed by Canadian Music Video director- Director X and also features a surprise guest cameo from World Record Holder, Usian Bolt.

A true cultural expression filled with love and unity, and definitely a giant step for soca music in the right direction towards the global stage. With several upcoming performances lined up for Machel Montano and Ashanti, we at Caribbean Entertainment Hub will be keeping you updated as their journey continues.

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Sources include- https://www.billboard.com, https://www.essence.com

Hashtags: #Machelmontano #Ashanti #TheRoad #Socamusic #TrinidadandTobago

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