As mas band Adrenalin City prepared to cross the Victoria Square judging point on Carnival Monday, the deejay turned down the music on the big truck and asked the revellers to vote by a show of hands for the song they wanted to jump up to for their Road March.
He gave them two options, either Kees Dieffenthaller’s Savannah Grass or Famalay sung by the trio of Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin (Ian Alvarez) and Skinny Fabulous (Gamal Doyle).
After the revellers raised their hands to vote for the song they wanted to cross the judging point too, the deejay said it was almost too close to call.
He, however, gave Savannah Grass the edge.
And so Adrenalin City, with its presentation Bacchanal Woman, crossed the judging point jumping up to Savannah Grass.
This seemed to be the dilemma faced by most bands, no matter their size, as they crossed the Victoria Square judging point on Monday. The same applied at various judging points across the country.
Savannah Grass and Famalay appeared to be neck and neck in the road march race.
Before Adrenalin City crossed the Victoria Square judging point, mas band Bliss had done so at 1.50 p.m.
Bliss, with its presentation Muse: Runway to Road, played Savannah Grass as they appeared before the judges.
The revellers jumped, wined and waved to the song.
“We have two road marches,” the deejay of Bliss’ Truck One then announced as he played Famalay.
The revelry continued.
Mas band Have Ah Time, with its presentation Tierra del Paradiso (Land of Paradise) ran on to the judging point to the sound of Famalay.
Sunny Bling (Kerron Sealy) explained to the judges that the revellers in the band, despite coming from different countries, were all family.
When the song ended the deejay then played Savannah Grass.
Sunny Bling told the revellers that the road was their Savannah grass.
While several bands fought to decide between the two songs, others stuck to one.
Yuma crossed the judging point at 2.48 pm to Savannah Grass.
Mas Passion with its presentation Hidden Kingdom of Nostalgia chose to jump up to Famalay instead.
If newly-crowned International Power Soca Monarch Mr Killa’s (Hollice Mapp) song Run Wid It was also eligible for the Road March competition, however, the race may have proven to be a three-horse one.
Road March rules
According to the Road March rules the competition is only open to nationals of Trinidad and Tobago thereby making Mr Killa from Grenada ineligible.
Skinny Fabulous who hails from St Vincent and the Grenadines is eligible to compete for the Road March title with Famalay as the majority of the lead vocal in the collaboration are done by T&T nationals Montano and Bunji Garlin.
Dieffenthaller, Skinny Fabulous, and Bunji Garlin have never won a Road March title.
Montano has won nine so far.
It was a sunny day in Port-of-Spain on Monday as the first of two days of revelry began.
Mas players, vendors and spectators all came out in their numbers.