Kali­fa Clyne

So­ca su­per­star Machel Mon­tano has de­nied a news­pa­per re­port that he was in­volved a ve­hic­u­lar ac­ci­dent on Thurs­day. He wants fans to know that he is safe and well. Mon­tano said so yes­ter­day while speak­ing to mem­bers of the me­dia at the prize giv­ing cer­e­mo­ny for the 2011 Road March com­pe­ti­tion yes­ter­day at Di­a­mond Mo­tors in Port-of-Spain. A re­port in a dai­ly news­pa­per yes­ter­day (not the T&T Guardian) claimed Mon­tano had been in­volved in a col­li­sion with a taxi.

Mon­tano said it was while dri­ving along Aber­crom­by Street on Thurs­day that the door of a taxi hit his ve­hi­cle. He said there was no col­li­sion. He said he want­ed his fans to know that he is safe and sound.

"Fear not, be­cause to­day I have a brand new car," joked Mon­tano, re­fer­ring to his prize for the Road March com­pe­ti­tion. Mon­tano, who won the com­pe­ti­tion with his 2011 hit Ad­van­tage, penned by pro­duc­er and song writer Ker­nel Roberts, re­ceived a Mit­subishi Lancer spon­sored by Vibe CT105 FM and Di­a­mond Mo­tors. Vibe CT105 is a di­vi­sion of Guardian Me­dia Lim­it­ed (GML). This year makes it the fourth Road March win for Mon­tano who had pre­vi­ous­ly won the com­pe­ti­tion in 1997, 2006 and 2007.

Mon­tano told re­porters that this prize was not for him alone, as his team had worked very hard on Ad­van­tage. "Ker­nel (Roberts) might get the en­gine, some­body might get the tyres, I am shar­ing this one."

He said he ap­pre­ci­at­ed win­ning the Road March com­pe­ti­tion. He dis­closed he is al­ready work­ing on ma­te­r­i­al for next year's Car­ni­val and hopes to be stand­ing as road march win­ner again. Mon­tano's prize pack­age, which in­cludes in­sur­ance from New In­dia In­sur­ance Com­pa­ny is val­ued up­wards of $150,000.

In ad­di­tion, Mon­tano will re­ceive fur­ther brand­ing worth $500,000.