Sokah2Soca

Original Image @Devi Nath @Vogue.com

The calypsonian said, "The road is made to walk on Carnival Day!" In this case, it was Let's Play, Ah Mas, and the result was 'Road March Song of the Year'!

The following post is a reprint from the blog Santiwah (replaced by Sokah2Soca). Some of the dates in the post date to an earlier period in the history of the "Official Road March Competition." The winning songs, played by the bands before 1961, were called "Leggos" (Break Away). From 1962 on, the competition became 'officially entrenched' in the carnival scene and culture and was given the name "Road March (current name).

The real names of the Calypsonians here were sourced from TUCO and added to this listing (to ensure 'full disclosure' with the listing). Thanks to TUCO and their research for listing the official names of the singers. The names were added here as a public service!

Before 1961, there was no official road march competition! The official competition was sanctioned in 1962! "Leggos" before 1962 and "Road March" from 1962—what does that mean? Simply put, the competition was given an official brand name by the authorities in 1962, with resources put in place to record plays to determine an 'official winner' for the most popular song played on the road and celebrated by the masqueraders.

As a reminder:

Please note that from 1834 to 1931, there was no official competition but a record of the song most played. However, starting in 1932 and up until 1961, the official competition was called "Leggo" (let go/free up yourself). The following year, 1962, the competition carried the name "Road March."

The video at the end of this listing was sourced from YouTube and is presented for your listening pleasure by "IsDePanInMe." You can now listen to a selection of these winning calypsos!

We have updated the post to reflect "The Early Years," dating from 1834 to 1931. The information was sourced from Wikipedia Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_Road_March

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The Early Years 

1800
1834—Congo Barra—Point De Six Ans (No Six Years)
1835—1896—No Information (pending)
1897—Chantwell—J'ouvert Band
1898—No Information (pending)
1899—Chantwell—Prisonie Levez

1900's
1900 to 1905—No Information (pending)
1906—Sophie Mataloney aka Jamette Matador—Pauline
1907—Lionel Belasco—L'Année Passée (last year); (melody used by Lord Invader in 1943 hit 'Rum and Coca Cola')

1910's
1911—Lionel Belasco—Poem One
1915—1918 World War 1—No Carnival

1916

1917

1918
1919—(Information pending)

1920's
1920—Atilla The Hun—Bigman Sweetman
1921—Johnny Walker—Go Way Gal
1922—Attila The Hun—Toddy
1923—King Houdini—Sly Mongoose
1924—(Name of Singer pending)—Mavis Powder

1925—King Houdini—Fire Brigade Water The Road
1926—Sam Manning—Camilla
1927—Atilla The Hun—Song pending (information needed)
1928—Mentor—Mr. Huggins
1929—Pending (information needed)

1930's
1930—Inveigler—Captain Cipriani
1931—King Houdini—Mr. Huggins (remake)

First Official Leggos/Breakaway on Record: 1932
1932—Norman Spann aka King Radio  Tiger Tom Play Tiger Cat 

1933—Norman Spann, aka King Radio  Wash Pan Wash

1934—Cletus Ali aka Dougla  After Johnny Drink Me Rum

1935—Rafael Cairi Llama De Leon, aka Roaring Lion  Dingolay Oy

1936—Rafael Cairi Llama De Leon, aka Roaring Lion: Advantage Could Never Done

1937—Rafael Cairi Llama De Leon, aka Roaring Lion  Netty Netty

1938—Rafael Cairi Llama De Leon, aka Roaring Lion, No Norah Darling

1939—Norman Spann, aka King Radio  Mathilda

1940's
1940—Egbert Moore aka Beginner  Run Yuh Run

1941—Rafael Cairi Llama De Leon, aka Roaring Lion, Whoopsin, Whoopsin

1942—No Carnival

1943—No Carnival

1944—No Carnival

1945—No Carnival

1946—Aldwyn RobertsLord Kitchener—Jump In The Line or Chinese Never Had A VJ Day 

            (Lai Fook Lee—Unofficial Leggo for that year (it is unclear who actually won).

1947—Andrew Bernard aka King Pharoah

1948—Fitzroy Alexander, aka Lord Melody (previously known as   Lord Livingstone)—Canaan Barrow
 (Canaan Barrow as per the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Tel # (868) 623-2874)

*The 1948 winner is now in dispute! Who really won in 1948? Was it, Lord Melody, with "Canaan Barrow? Or was it King Radio with "Who Dead, Canaan? Or was it Mighty Killer with a song titled "East Indians with Christian Names"?

1949—Victor Atwell aka Wonder  Ramgoat Baptism

1950's
1950—Cephas Alexander aka Killer  In a Calabash

1951—Fitzgerald Henry, aka Terror  Tiny Davis

1952—Carlton Gomes aka Spit Fire  Post Post

1953—Carlton Gomes aka Spit Fire  Bow Wow, Wow

1954—Carlton Joseph aka Blakie  Steel Band Clash

1955—German Composition/popular by BBC  Radio UK 1953/1954 Happy Wonderer (Valerie Valera)

            Rules amended: Only songs sung by Trinbagonians became eligible for the Road March Title. 

1956—Slinger Francisco, aka "The Mighty Sparrow,"  Jean and Dinah

1957—Carlton Gomes aka Spitfire PNM (Peoples National Movement—Political Party)

1958—Slinger Francisco, aka "The Mighty Sparrow": Pay As You Earn

1959—Caruso  Run the Gunslingers

1960's
1960—Slinger Francisco, aka "The Mighty Sparrow"   Mae Mae

1961—Slinger Francisco, aka "The Mighty Sparrow,"  Royal Jail

First Official Road March Winner Recorded

1962—Blakie  Maria 

1963—Aldwyn Roberts, aka Lord Kitchener  The Road

1964—Aldwyn Roberts, aka Lord Kitchener   This Is Mas

1965—Aldwyn Roberts, aka Lord Kitchener   My Pussin

1966—Slinger Francisco, aka "The Mighty Sparrow,"  Obeah Wedding

1967—Aldwyn Roberts aka Lord Kitchener  Sixty Seven

1968—Aldwyn Roberts, aka Lord Kitchener, Miss Tourist

1969—Slinger Francisco aka "The Mighty Sparrow"  Sa Sa Yae

1970's
1970  Aldwyn Roberts aka Lord Kitchener  Margie

1971  Aldwyn Roberts aka Lord Kitchener  Madison Square

1972—Slinger Francisco aka "The Mighty Sparrow"  Drunk and Disorderly

1973—Aldwyn Roberts, aka Lord Kitchener, Rainorama

1974—Winston Bailey aka "Shadow,"  Bass Man

1975—Aldwyn Roberts, aka Lord Kitchener: Tribute to Spree Simon

1976—Aldwyn Roberts, aka Lord Kitchener, Flag Woman

1977—McArthur Lewis aka Calypso Rose  Tempo

1978—McArthur Lewis aka Calypso Rose: Come Leh We Jam (Soca Jam)

1979—Sylvester Lockhart, aka Poser  Ah Tell She

1980's
1980—Austin Lyons aka Blue Boy/Super Blue  Soca Baptist

1981—Austin Lyons aka Blue Boy/Super Blue, Ethel

1982—Sedley Joseph, akaPenguin Penguin Deputy

1983—Austin Lyons aka Blue Boy/Super Blue, Rebecca

1984—Slinger Francisco aka "The Mighty Sparrow"  Doh Back Back

1985—Edwin Ayoung aka Crazy   Soucoyant

1986—David Rudder, Bahia Girl

1987—Kelvin Pope, aka Duke  Thunder

1988—Christopher Herbert aka Tambu  This Party Is It

1989—Christopher Herbert aka Tambu  Free Up

1990's
1990—Christopher Herbert aka Tambu  We Aren't Going Home

1991—Austin Lyons aka Blue Boy/Super Blue, Get Something and Wave

1992—Austin Lyons aka Blue Boy/Super Blue  Jab Jab

1993—Austin Lyons aka Blue Boy/Super Blue  Bacchanal Time

1994—Barnett Henry, aka Preacher  Jump and Wave

1995—Austin Lyons aka Blue Boy/Super Blue, Signal To Lara

1996—Nigel Lewis  Movin

1997—Machel Montano: Big Truck

1998—Wayne Rodriguez: Footsteps

1999—Sanell Dempster  River

2000's
2000—Austin Lyons aka Super Blue/Neil Iwer George (Tie) Pump Up/Carnival Come Back Again

2001—Winston Bailey aka Shadow  Stranger

2002—Naya George  Trinidad

2003—Faye-Ann Lyons  Display

2004—Shurwayne Winchester  De Band Coming

2005—Shurwayne Winchester  Dead or Alive

2006—Machel Montano and Patrice Roberts  Band of the Year

2007—Machel Montano: Jumbie

2008—Faye Ann Lyons Alvarez  Get on

2009—Faye Ann Lyons Alvarez  "Meet Super Blue"

2010's
2010—JW and Blaze Palance

2011—Machel Montano HD—Advantage

2012—Machel Montano—Pump Yuh Flag

2013—Austin Lyons aka Blue Boy/Super Blue—Fantastic Friday

2014—Machel Montano HD—MOR (Ministry of Road)

2015—Machel "Monk Monte" Montano—Like Ah Boss

2016—Machel Montano—Waiting on the Stage

2017—Ultimate Rejects ft. MX Prime—Full Extreme

2018—Machel Montano & Austin "Superblue" Lyons—Soca Kingdom

2019—Machel Montano, Ian Alvarez (Bunji Garlin) & Gamal Doyle (Skinny Fabulous)—Famalay

2020's
2020—Iwer George & Kees Dieffenthaller (of KES the Band)—Stage Gone Bad

2021—No Carnival (Covid-19 Pandemic; Backyard Jam by Farmer Nappy most popular online!)

2022—No Carnival (Covid-19 Pandemic)

2023—Ian Alvarez aka Bunji Garlin—Hard Fete

2024—Mical Teja—DNA

2025—Machel Montano—Pardy

Let's take our culture places:

We present the music here for your listening pleasure and promotional purposes only, adhering to the "Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976. Sokah2Soca/Soca Music Blog © 1990 by Santiwah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-SA/4.0/.