admin 
CMC (Jamaica) – Trinidadian soca star Machel Montano will be honoured with a Key to the City of Kingston on Sunday.
Montano will be honoured as Jamaica celebrates 61 years of Independence on Sunday.
The event, the Independence Grand Gala, will be one of the pivotal moments of the Independence celebrations.
Members of the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) gave full approval to the request from Education Minister, Olivia “Babsy” Grange, that Montano be honoured.
“Be it resolved that the Key to the City of Kingston be conferred on Mr. Machel Jesus Montano, in recognition of his sterling, awesome and iconic career in music, which has positively influenced many adoring fans across the Caribbean and the world, including many Jamaicans who continue to enjoy his enduring legacy,” stated a resolution passed by the council.
It was tabled by Government Councillor Susan Senior and seconded by Councillor Kari Douglas.
“When you hear soca music, you just want to jump. Soca is sweet…together we join together in a special way for a special moment,” she said, as she hailed Montano’s courtesy and encouragement and love for music.
Meanwhile, head of the main Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) caucus in the council, Andrew Swaby and fellow PNP councillor Audrey Smith-Facey, both admitted that they saw nothing wrong with Montano being honoured for his achievements as a soca star, but were concerned about how approvals were untimely.
“I was a soca queen, and Montana was my favourite soca person, but it is saddening to know that while we try to operate in a professional manner, which I think that they should honour, they just chuck this on us at the last minute,” Smith-Facey said.
