Machel Montano was declared Road March champ yesterday, making him winner of the three main soca competitions for Carnival 2012. The landslide victory follows on his double success at last Friday's Digicel International Power Soca Monarch and Play Whe International Groovy Soca Monarch competitions. This is the fifth time Montano has won the Road March title.
Although there were reports that Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez's Miss Behave and Neil "Iwer" George's No Pain were his contenders, Montano's song was way in the lead. His contenders were nowhere close in the race. Pump Yuh Flag was played 233 times at seven judging points-Independence Square, Queen's Park Savannah, Piccadilly Greens, Adam Smith Square, Arima, San Fernando and Tobago on Monday and Tuesday. Miss Behave was played 96 times while No Pain played 84 times.
The results were announced yesterday by president of the Trinbago Unified Calypso Organisation Lutalo Masimba (Brother Resistance) at the National Carnival Commission VIP Lounge, Queen's Park Savannah. Montano, 37, won the Road March titles in 1997 with Big Truck, in 2006 with Band of D' Year, alongside Patrice Roberts, in 2009 with Jumbie, and last year with Advantage. Last Friday, Montano took home $2.5 million for his performances at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. He copped the Groovy and Power Soca Monarch titles with Mr Fete and Pump Yuh Flag respectively. Pump Yuh Flag was produced by songwriter Kernal Roberts.
In 2009, Lyons-Alvarez became the first female to win the three titles. Her father, Austin Lyons, known as Superblue, won the Road March title eight times. Montano's Road March prize is a car sponsored by Diamond Motors Ltd and Vibe CT 105FM, a product of Guardian Media Ltd.
