Courtesy Overtime Media
For Trinidad Carnival 2026, Akhenaton “Yung Bredda” Lewis is taking it “Inch By Inch” as his song written by Jason “Shaft” Bishop dictates. The Sea Lots native, whose vocals on Full Blown’s 2025 Big Linx Riddim catapulted him into the Carnival arena, obviously does not have a global chart-topping, every fete booking, DJ-playing and patron singing hit this season, and that’s ok. After all, a hit song like “The Greatest Bend Over” might only come around once in a lifetime for most artistes, so Lewis remains grateful for the success, the experience and the chance to be a part of the greatest show on earth.
Speaking with XVibes this week, he recalled last year’s intensity and momentum:
“Is only after the season ended that I realised how big the song and the moment was really, yuh know,” Lewis admitted. “In the moment and during the season, it was so much pace and constant demands that I really wasn’t able to take it all in and analyze it properly na. But this year, I’ve been able to have actual conversations with persons in the industry to build relationships, whereas last year, I was new to the industry and so much in demand that I rarely had the time to have conversations like that, so I’m happy and grateful to have a somewhat quieter season now, where I can really breathe and build solid connections all around.”
Endorsements from bmobile, KFC and Rudeboy have helped fulfilled Lewis’ dreams of connecting and partnering with big established companies and have also propelled his image and his brand into the corporate sector and made him a household name across the Republic of T&T. Grateful and spiritually grounded, Lewis revealed that he is currently learning to play guitar, working on forming his own band and still building a house for his mother.
“My mission is to do whatever God puts in front of me to do,” he declared, “and to utilize my talent to support my family, my daughter, to uplift my community and to inspire others young and old to keep working and trying and striving for success… Cause if a brother like me can make it – coming from where I’ve come from – then, there’s really no excuse for anyone else not to do the same, if not better, yuh know?”
Bigging up Full Blown for having the number one song in Carnival 2026 with “Respectfully Yours”, Bredda also gave praise to singer, songwriter Nadia Batson for her hit song, “Pieces” and listed Coutain’s “Wedding Band”, Christo’s “Doux Doux Dahlin”, “Nailah Blackman’s “Origins” and Kimi’s “Action” among his favorite songs for the season.
“Patrice and Mical’s Capital is MY Road March for this season!” He enthused with a big smile. “That tune does make me feel to wild out in de road!”
Look out for Yung Bredda somewhere on a truck come Carnival Monday and Tuesday, but don’t expect to see him in costume in the streets.
“People may not know this, but I get claustrophobic in crowds,” he explained, “and that can cause me to become a lil paranoid. So for Carnival, I like to work on the truck and see and feel the energy of the people enjoying themselves, but I don’t really play mas.
“J’ouvert however, is more my thing cause for those few hours under darkness, we are all the same and there’s no preconceived ideas and biases and that kinda selective attitude that tends to separate us. Ah love J’ouvert for that freedom and that equality you feel, when is just mud or paint and nobody studying nice clothes or shoes or jewelry and is just about having fun.”
Clearly, even in a slower year with a shorter season, Yung Bredda is fulfilling his mission and still having fun
