By: Michael Mondezie
Photos: JERMAINE Cruickshank and Dexter Phillip
Machel Montano now stands alone at the summit of Road March history.
With “Encore” crowned the 2026 Road March winner, the soca monk has secured a 12th title and broken a 50-year benchmark that stood untouched since Lord Kitchener’s final win in 1976. For decades, Kitchener’s 11 titles remained the number that defined Road March greatness. Now a new name sits at the pinnacle of the masquerade.
Just behind on the all-time leaderboard are SuperBlue (Austin Lyons) with ten titles and Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) with eight, a reminder of how rare it is for any artiste to even approach this territory, far less cross it.
Days before releasing his 2026 contender, in an exclusive pre-release interview with the Express, Montano was careful about how he framed the chase. He did not describe it as a quest to eclipse Kitchener, even though he acknowledged the milestone.
“I could never eclipse Kitch,” he said then. “Kitchener is one of the greatest ever to do it. What he did for calypso, steelpan and Road March, I don’t think I’ve put in half that work.”
The record books, however, are indifferent to sentiment. They record results. And the record will show this moment as a defining chapter in a storied 40-year career.
A win that feels like the first
Montano’s response to the victory, however, carried the tone of gratitude rather than triumph.
“What an absolute honour and joy it is to celebrate this 2026 Road March win,” Montano told the Express via WhatsApp on Wednesday night. “I am beyond words, and the feeling is only comparable to my first win in 1997.”
He described the season as “a most challenging race” and extended congratulations to fellow contenders who pushed the competition ot the wire. “Encore” was played a leading 171 times across judging points, ahead of Voice’s (Aaron St Louis) “Cyah Behave” with 127 plays and Bunji Garlin’s (Ian Alvarez) “Road Man” with 97.
“To Voice, Bunji Garlin, and all the other contenders, I extend my congratulations and gratitude for a most challenging race. All great songs and valiant efforts to reach the finish line!”
That acknowledgement matters. Road March is never only about catalogue or legacy. It is about who manages to meet the road at the right frequency in the right year.
Montano also placed the spotlight where he often insists it belongs, on the machinery of Carnival music that operates beyond the stage.
“I thank all the fans and masqueraders for the passion and support for all of us,” he said. “To everyone that played a role, writers, producers, musicians, DJ’s, promo teams, etc…well done!”
He described the season as, “The spirit of the Carnival rode on the wings of the music, and it was euphoric.”
The song knew what
it was carrying
Before “Encore” had even reached the road, Montano had framed it as a response to the pressure of following 2025’s “Pardy”, a song that helped bring him level with Kitchener’s record in the first place.
The track reunited the same creative team of songwriter Andre Jeffers and producers XplicitMevon (Mevon Sooden) and Kyle Phillips of Badjohn Republic.
“It didn’t come easy,” he told the Express. “We were looking for how do we top ‘Pardy’, how do we move it one step further, but still keep the pedigree.”
He described the creation of “Encore” as “divine intervention”, explaining that the team was chasing the emotional resonance “Pardy” unexpectedly unlocked.
“People wanted more of that feeling,” he said. “Jeffers came with the idea and I felt it immediately.”
Even the song’s lyrics carried a kind of self-fulfilling pressure, he sings:
“Dey say yuh only as good as yuh last performance
So leh we gih dem performance.”
In many ways, “Encore” completes a narrative Montano has been living publicly for decades. The work never ends. The standard resets each year.
“I chase the creativity,” he said. “When you create music on a high level and especially with others, you’re chasing excellence, and excellence is something that’s constantly moving because you’re trying to be better than your last performance.”
Legacy as responsibility,
not conquest
The historic breaking of a 50-year record will naturally trigger comparisons and debates. Montano does shy away from that history, but he resists framing it as a conquest.
Lord Kitchener, dubbed The Grand Master of Calypso, ruled the road during the genre’s heyday in the 1960s and ’70s with classics like “The Road” (1963), “My Pussin” (1965), “Miss Tourist” (1968) and “Rainorama” (1973). The Arima-born bard captured his final Road March crown in 1976 with “Flag Woman”.
Montano’s wins, stretching from “Big Truck” in 1997 through “Soca Kingdom” (2018), “Famalay” (2019) and now “Encore”, chart the genre’s evolution from horn-driven road anthems to digitally produced global soca energy.
In his message following the result, he addressed the milestone directly, but again in measured tones.
“I am grateful to be a part of the historic breaking of this 50-year record and hope it will be an inspiration to all, especially to the upcoming young men and women in our industry,” he said.
“Keep dreaming and setting goals while working hard, being determined and dedicated. You can and will achieve anything you put your mind and efforts toward.”
For Montano, the 12th Road March is not positioned as an end-point. It is proof that longevity and ambition can co-exist, and that records, no matter how long they stand, are still meant to be tested.
He closed by thanking those closest to him.
“To my team, my family, friends, and loved ones…thank you for supporting and encouraging me! Love MM,” he concluded.
