- (Trinidad Express) – “What an absolute honour and joy it is to celebrate this 2026 Road March win!!!”
This is how soca superstar Machel Montano yesterday described his 12th Road March title, surpassing the 50-year record set by calypso legend Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts).
Montano’s “Encore” registered 171 plays as mas bands crossed the judging points on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. His win was announced yesterday by Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation president Ainsley King at the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain.
In the 2026 Road March competition, which featured 18 songs, Montano sealed first place with “Encore”.
Voice (Aaron St Louis) placed second with “Cyah Behave”, which was played 127 times; while Bunji Garlin (Ian Alvarez) secured third place with “Still a Road Man”, amassing 97 plays across the official judging routes.
In a post on social media, Montano wrote: “What an absolute honour and joy it is to celebrate this 2026 Road March win!!! I am beyond words, and the feeling is only comparable to my first win in 1997.”
