Memorializing and Celebrating Life, Skinny Fabulous and Machel Team up Again

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad - The distinct difference between ordinary and extraordinary lies in the heart of the servant. For artistes like Skinny Fabulous and Machel Montano, the people they serve through music, rhythm and story, are most important and for that reason, the music they deliver is always pronounced. Like a breath of fresh air, the two dynamic Caribbean artistes have collaborated and delivered a single that pays homage to those who’ve gone ahead, while intentionally celebrating those who still stand firm in the ‘fete of life.’

skinnmonJust two days after its release, ‘Fallen Fetters’ has racked up over 100,000 views on YouTube. “We’ve been sitting on this song since April,” shared St. Vincent’s Skinny Fabulous. He says he knew it was important to collaborate on this concept, much like he did with the impactful, ‘Famalay’ five years ago. “When it comes to these kinds of meaningful messages, I like to collaborate because I always feel like the vessels through which we carry these messages are important, and the more reach and the more diverse the vessels are, the better,” he explained. The song, which was released with visuals, was written by Jayorn ‘Krooshal’ Richards, Kubiyashi, Rajiv Sutherland and the artistes themselves. The song’s video was directed by Junior Lee with concept and creative directive by PreciseLee Films. “I want to shout out Junior Lee for conceptualizing and directing an awesome video,” said the artiste, happy to have been able to work with the team of creatives to bring the song’s truest meaning to life.

“We were really trying to find the right balance between memorializing those who’ve passed away and celebrating those who are still here,” said Skinny. He said, this song serves as a reminder to show love and celebrate those who are still present on the earth. “We have to give people their flowers while they are still here. Too often we wait until someone is gone to realize how much we love and miss them,” he said.

The music video for ‘Fallen Fetters’ does in fact strike the balance the artistes wished to convey. Antiguan Soca artiste, Ricardo Drue, social media influencer Samara Maloney, Miya Marcano - the daughter of DJ Eternal Vibes, and several other ‘fallen fetters’ are memorialized in the video and amid it all, the song encourages those who continue to revel in carnival, to celebrate each other while life allows.

The Carnival 2025 season now in focus, Skinny Fabulous, Machel Montano and every other creative who dedicatedly share in the culture of carnival, is reminded of their fortune – the gift that is life. Amid the sadness of having lost friends and loved ones along the way, the significance of this piece of work lies in its candid reality-check that urges everyone to give thanks for life and celebrate each moment above ground. “We are all just passing through but while we’re here, sharing in the moments of laughter, fun, friendship and love, may we never forget that we have much to be grateful for, including to have met and loved the ones we’ve lost,” said Skinny.