Carnival Ends in T&T, Montano Captures Road March

Port-Of-Spain, March 5:      Soca star Machel Montano’s “Ministry of Road” – MOR – is the Road March tune of the 2014 Trinidad & Tobago Carnival which ended yesterday.  Montano has the titles of 2014 Road March champion and 2014 International Power Soca Monarch.  (Photo of masquerader in yesterday’s carnival: TDC)

Machel Montano

Machel Montano 2014 Power Soca Monarch and Road March winner

The Road March is the tune played most frequently and masqueraders and revelers dance to during the carnival parade.

At most locations across Trinidad and Tobago where the tunes are scored and costume bands judged, most DJs played “Ministry of Road” selected by masquerade bandleaders. “Ministry of Road” – MOR was played 374 times.

Trailing way behind were Farmer Nappy’s “Big People Party” played 59 times and Benjai’s “Come Out To Play” the DJs blasted Benjai’s hit only 39 times.

BAND OF THE YEAR: “De River Come Down”  has won the Downtown Band of the Year. It was produced by Ronnie & Caro.

All results of Trinidad & Tobago carnival 2014 competitions – Costume bands, soca, calypso, panorama and Road March are listed below on the day after each event.

 

Port-Of-Spain, March 3:  Grenada born and Trinidad & Tobago raised, Dr. Conrad Murray who spent years in prison for causing the death of Michael Jackson, is playing mas in Trinidad & Tobago Carnival. Dr. Murray usually play in a masquerade band on Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

This is his first carnival in Trinidad & Tobago since the Michael Jackson tragedy.

Murray and his family arrived in Trinidad over the weekend.  He will be in the large mas band, Bliss, on Carnival Tuesday.

Although Dr. Murray can no longer practice medicine in the U.S., he is free to resume his career in Trinidad & Tobago.

Dr. Conrad Murray is part of the Rush family in Grenada but carries his stepfather’s name.

The famed doctor is one of many global celebrities in Trinidad & Tobago for carnival.

Usain Bolt will be dancing across the Queens Park Savannah on Tuesday. Will the band he is in capture the title of Band of the Year?

Port-Of-Spain, March 3:  Shortly after 1am, Eastern Caribbean time, former Miss Universe Janelle Penny Commissiong-Chow and former Olympian Ato Bolton came on stage at the Queens Park Savannah at the conclusion of the Dimanche Gras show to announce the 2014 National Calypso Monarch of Trinidad & Tobago.

Chucky – Roderick Gordon

2nd – Kurt Allen

3rd –   Selvon Noel – Mistak Shak

The new monarch prize is TT$1,000,000, approximately, a little less than US$250,000

Port-Of-Spain, March 2: In the wee hours of this morning, Carnival Sunday in Trinidad & Tobago, the results of the 2014 Panorama finals were announced. Phase II Pan Groove in the large bands category and Pan Elders in the medium size category.

The competition started Saturday evening at the Queens Park Savannah.

Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove got 287 votes with the tune, “Jump High,” arranged by the icon, Len “Boogsie” Sharp. Sharp and Pan Groove retained the championship.

Neal & Massey Trinidad All-Stars lost by one vote. It got 286 points after an excellent performance of “Excitement,” arranged by Leon Edwards.

BP Renegades place third with 283 points.

Pan Elders dethroned last year’s champion, Buccooneers Steel Orchestra of Tobago.

The National Calypso Monarch is this evening, a part of the Dimanche Gras show.

Port-Of-Spain, March 1: Early this morning the soca monarch competitions for T&T Carnival 2014 ended and the results given. Machel Montano retains International Power Soca Monarch title. The new Groovy Soca Monarch is Kerwin Du Bois.

INTERNATIONAL POWER SOCA MONARCH RESULT

1. Machel Montano:  Ministry Of The Road”

2. Hollice “Mr Kill@” Mapp:  “Rolly Polly”

2. Neil Iwer George : “Mama Oye”

2. Destra Garcia:   “Mash Up”

GROOVY SOCA MONARCH RESULT

1. Kerwin Du Bois:   “Too Real”

2. Machel Montano:  “Happiest Man Alive”

3. Darryl “Farmer Nappy” Henry:   “Big People Party”

4. Destra Garcia:   “First Time”

Machel Montano

Machel Montano 2014 Power Soca Monarch

kervwin DuBois

Kerwin Du Bois – 2014 Groovy Soca Monarch of Trinidad & Tobago

It is the first time in the young history of the soca competition on Carnival Friday Night a three-way tie for 2nd place was proclaimed.  It is also the first time a non-Trinidadian placed very high. Mr. Killa@ is from Gouyave, St. John’, Grenada.

In both soca events hot soca artists from Barbados, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada made it into the finals.