Trinidad & Tobago Carnival 2024

The 2024 Trinidad & Tobago Carnival season has ended and left us with lots of wonderful memories. The feeling of Carnival Tabanca is what one endures when flying back to Montreal as winter still lingers. I’ve just been a bit overwhelmed with my trip to Trinidad and Tobago Carnival and the experiences I encountered.
This issue readers wanna know the Carnival scoop, so here it is. Machel Montano stayed away from Soca events this season but still copped the Calypso Monarch title. New comer Mical Teja, walked away with the young kings title as well as the Road March. Lost Tribe takes downtown Band of the Year 2024 Soca King Machel Montano has proved that he can not only dominate soca as he already has several road march and international soca monarch titles under his belt. Now, Machel Montano can add Calypso Monarch to that list. Competing in the finals of the Trinidad & Tobago National Calypso Monarch on Sunday, 11 February with his hit song “Soul of Calypso”, he was victorious over eleven other competitors, including the 2023 reigning Monarch Ta’Zyah O’Connor.
His rendition of Soul of Calypso earned him a cash prize of TT $500,000 and a Suzuki Grand Vitara courtesy of Lifestyle Motors valued at TT $300,000. He has also confirmed that he will defend the title in 2025. It was the outcome many soca lovers predicted, as Mical Williams— better known as Mical Teja shot past the competition in taking the 2024 Road March title with his smash 2024 Carnival hit DNA. Last year’s Road March winner Ian “Bunji Garlin” Alvarez fell to a distant second place with Carnival Contract being played 225 times and Patrice Roberts’ Anxiety was third after being played 48 times.
The Belmont-born Williams took to social media after the announcement and thanked the fans for their support and encouraged other young people to pursue their dreams. Mical Teja also swept to victory in the 2024 Young Kings competition with his megahit “DNA”. The Lost Tribe takes the top spot for the 2024 Band of the Year. The results of the band of the year were announced this afternoon with The Lost Tribe with its scarlet ibis-inspired portrayal Fly taking the top spot. Following behind was Ronnie and Caro Mas Band with Bushfire: The Rising of New Life, and Paparazzi Carnival’s Ihoka: The Forgotten Trail rounding out the top three.