Carnival 2026 Splits the Glory — Voice Takes the Road, Machel Takes the Stage
bySantiwah-0
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Sometimes it’s best not to swim against the tide—and in this case, it’s the musical tide that washed over Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival 2026. But not today; we are continuing to lament our case for this iteration of Road March Bacchanal. We are calling balls and strikes for this post. Now, let’s say it plainly, because we’re not letting this one slip away like the "Savannah Grass" vs. "Famalay" saga. Voice took the Road March, and Machel Montano claimed the Stage March. We said it, and who vex… well, allyuh know the rest.
Even Machel Montano himself acknowledged the reality. On Corie Sheppard’s podcast, he admitted that "Cyar Behave" wasn’t built to win because too many artists misunderstand the energy of the stage—a point that matters for "Stage March," not the "Road March." Road March has always belonged to the road, the heartbeat of Carnival, not the performance platform aka "The Stage."
And Machel doubled down in an Instagram post, stating outright that his song was not the most played on the road. The key line says everything:
“The Road March is the song that is played the most times to cross the stage.
It is misconstrued that the Road March is the biggest song for the Carnival on the road.
My song was not played the most on the road.
Maybe, a next prize for the song played the most on the road.”
That’s the man himself clarifying the difference—and it’s the same difference we’ve been shouting for years. If you want to understand how to fix this competition once and for all, read our article “The Road March Is Not the Stage March—So Stop Treating It Like One!” It breaks down exactly why these titles keep getting confused and why the system needs a reset.
If you disagree, so be it. But if you can strike down our reasoning, we’ll applaud you. Because deep down, you—the reader, the fan, the Carnival lover—already know this competition needs fixing. Ent?
For this post, I am posting the Kiddies Carnival version of the song that did not meet the criteria for the DJs... damn DJs!
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Production Notes/Music Credits:
Song Title: Cyar Behave
Artist/Performed by: Voice
Origin: Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.
Genre: Soca 🎶
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