Surprise! – Machel adds gourmet chocolatier Soular to his long list of Collaborators

Machel Montano has long been known for his love of collaboration. From his early releases with David Rudder and Shaggy to his upcoming song with Boyz 2 Men, he enjoys tapping into established talent and seeing what results. This time however, the collaboration comes with a twist. A sweet one. Instead of bringing a musician into his world, he brings a local, artisan Natural Foods company. On Monday February 24th, at the Machel Monday concert, a Limited Edition dark chocolate bar – made by Soular from the highest quality Trinitario cocoa beans – will be made available.

Who are these two players? The globally feted Machel is celebrated for vibrant perfomances and innovative concerts that, while diverse, are no doubt focused on predominantly younger hip crowds. On the other hand Soular, operating quietly out of the hills of Maracas Valley, has been concentrating on a small audience of discerning customers through the local gourmet and health food sector.

What then brings these two unlikely parties together? Michael Parris, one of the company’s co-owners believes it’s because “it’s a collision of two of Trinidad’s greatest offerings to the world – our chocolate, our music. Machel’s theme this year is Happiness. And chocolate, unknown to many, is a natural antidepressant. ”

Even after Carnival Tuesday is long gone Soular will continue to offer its products – goods such as sun dried bananas and cocoa nibs – through Machel’s M Store in the airport and other select local outlets. But this project, the chocolate bar with Machel’s image emblazoned on the front, is a Limited Edition for Carnival 2014. And when it’s gone it will be gone.