Even as he celebrates his 12th Road March title win, Machel Montano’s words uttered earlier in the season, has left a tremendous mark on those who were lucky enough to hear him speak. At the premiere of his documentary, ‘Like Ah Boss,’ on February 10th, Machel called on the government of Trinidad and Tobago, and corporate bodies operating in the country, to invest in the country’s youth, from an earlier age.

“Let’s not wait that long to know who we are,” urged Montano, in response to Ebuzztt’s question as to what he would say to his 9-year-old self. Machel said while he was able to go back to school to study Carnival Studies at the age of 50, his hope was that children who are in touch with who they are, even at the age of 9, would be given the opportunity to develop their skillsets and talents, from an earlier age. “Let them earn the history of where Chutney music come from and where Calypso come from and if we teach that you will see how deep this is and then, let’s teach that along with classical music training and vocal training and piano playing and reading music and writing music. Let’s make these youths not have to struggle how I had to struggle,” he pleaded.

Referring to young Angelo Gore who appeared on stage with him at Monday Madness, one night prior, Machel said, “This little boy is singing in key. This little boy is amazing and you know nobody have nowhere to go and put him in, tomorrow to make him 10X. We not doing that in this country. Like we don’t care!” he expressed.

Machel said in Trinidad and Tobago there are people across society who are so incredibly talented, however with no proper programs to their benefit, the talent wasted. “We have people making roti, who playing pan. We have people driving taxi and playing pan. How they remembering all ‘dem’ notes for eight minutes?” he questioned.

The artiste said while there is a lot of talent in the country that is not recognized and often bypassed, he is no longer going to be waiting for government or private corporations to recognize that. “I am going to use my money and other people money – my friends money, Junior Sammy and I will build it,” he said, to some laughter. He was not kidding though. The artiste and his Monk team have already begun working. “We have SoudBridge,” said Che Kothari- Montano’s manager. “We have a Sound Bridge programme now where we did interviews and we built a whole system that will live online that will teach youths about Marketing, Producing, Songwriting, Performing – every single thing, all the secrets; and we will be there to hold their hand,” said Machel.

Kothari said Soudbridge will break down Machel’s journey in an educational way. “Elizabeth has an incredible book and then there’s the documentary and the next phase is this SoundBridge programme which is essentially Machel’s journey but in an educational way – workshops, tutorials, interviews with collaborators, management books. It’s going to break down Machel’s journey and his team, and the behind the scenes of how to make it happen,” said Che. He said the programme would be online but there would also be physical workshops as they tour everywhere they go.

WHAT WOULD MACHEL SAY TO HIS 9 YEAR OLD SELF.

“I know the education that was coming to me, was not serving me – not everybody have to be a doctor or a lawyer or a politician or some kinda office worker. In Trinidad we think big job is administration- yuh in de bank, yuh is ah executive. We look down on pan tuners, we look down on calypsonians and we think they are just jesters. We are not. This is creativity. Creation is the highest form of human existence,” said the entertainer.

Machel says youths today should educate themselves on the things that they like. “Whatever it is, hone a skill. I drop out of school. My mother start to cry. My father say, “ok.” I went and find somewhere to become a Sound Engineer. Learnt production, learnt recording, learnt troubleshooting, learnt engineering. That is why I always a step ahead of them. I know things. I went to school and I have some things under my bel,” said Montano.

Machel says he would have liked to have been better vocally trained at a higher level, in Trinidad and Tobago. “I would’ve liked to have been learning my thing, in a highly professional environment and I think that’s what is missing. I often bawl out and say we need a school for the Arts that looks like QR – big concrete, big windows, big stained glass windows and it have the best- Boogsie and Carl Jacobs and David Rudder working – all de men who know things, working alongside people from Julliard and Berkley – we mix it up nah, so we know making sure we getting people who understand the highest of heights.”

On Ash Wednesday, it was announced that Machel Montano had sealed the deal, once again, securing a Road March title in his country. It was his 12th title which has secured his place in history, having surpassed Aldwyn ‘Lord Kitchener’ Roberts for the most Road March titles in T&T.

Guyana has Soca too.

The country’s reigning Road March Queen, 24-year-old Omaiah Hall says every Guyanese Soca artiste will admit, they have to love it, to remain true to it. The young, talented vocalist who also placed third in the Senior Soca Monarch competition last year, is in Trinidad and Tobago ahead of Carnival 2026 where she plans on making the right connections while having a bit of fun along the way. 

Hall never imagined she’d fall this deeply in love with Soca music. In fact, she admits that throughout her life, her passion lied in singing RnB music. “I was never a person who sang Calypso or Soca music. My father is a pianist and jazz musician. I just never found an appeal for being on stage and wining up,” she said reflectively. In 2023 however, her outlook quickly changed. 

In 2020 she had won the Junior Calypso Monarch competition in what’s called, ‘Mashramani’ in Guyana – a festival that takes place on Republic Day, February 23^rd, annually. Omaiah said a couple years later, she began dabbling in Soca music and by 2023, the sound, rhythm and energy of the music had totally absorbed her. “In 2022, I realized I only wanted to do Soca music. Soca found me!” she said, explaining that by 2023 a song called, ‘We Fetting,’ followed by ‘R’ in 2024, had gotten the attention of the people of Guyana. “I was booked and busy and one year later in 2025, I won the Road March title, with ‘Breakway’ – dethroning Melissa “Vanilla” Roberts, who had been the Road March Queen for a decade.” Now, as she continues her effort to build catalogue, reputation and fanbase, Omaiah has released a 2026 track called, “Happy Feeling,’ which has been receiving tremendous love in Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, a second single, “Foreva,’ which comes complete with a new video, is her 2026 Guyana Carnival Road March contender. 

Explaining that Guyana’s actual Carnival takes place in May annually, Omaiah says both festivals should be experienced by anyone desirous of a great time among carefree people. “Guyana is becoming more open to Soca now because of the younger generation’s involvement in the genre,” she admitted, noting that dancehall takes precedence, and as such, Mashramani organizers have included a Dancehall Monarch over the past three years. “Guyana is all dancehall. Many say Soca music is too happy of a genre,” she highlighted, adding that artistes like O.K.C, Pahjo and Vinel Hinds have consistently stood firm in representing the genre and popularizing it in Guyana. 

TALKING CARIBBEAN COLLABS

Eager to take her vibe and energy to venues across Trinidad and Tobago and certainly the world, Omaiah is hopeful for the opportunity to collaborate with other Caribbean artistes. She performed at Nailah Blackman’s concert in January. “I’ve also done A-Team Fridays, Vice Nightclub and the Eye Slam concert series,” she highlighted, explaining that her aim is to make the necessary connections along the way. “When it comes to my music, and my performance style, I’ll say, Omaiah Hall will always bring vocals. Added to that, I’m a strong performer. I will wine up!” she said cheerfully. In fact, those very traits may have been responsible for her walking away with the 2025 title of Female Soca Artiste of the Year, in Guyana. 

A huge fan of Machel Montano, and extremely encouraged by the powerful personality and stage presence of T&T’s Fay Ann Lyons, Omaiah is pushing full speed ahead, truly encouraged. “I love Fay Ann. I have been compared to her many times. She is powerful- the way she commands the stage, the way she is unapologetic about who she is,” said the young artiste. She also gives tremendous credit to the late, Dexter ‘Blaxx’ Stewart, noting that he opened doors for many young, upcoming artistes. “I haven’t been able to make that solid, professional connection with Machel just yet but I am optimistic. I’ve met him before in Guyana at the CPL and at our Super Concert backstage, but I’m hopeful for greater opportunities to work with him, in the future,” she said. 

Now in T&T for the season of revelry, Omaiah says 2026 will see her hit the streets in costume, and certainly enjoying every aspect of the festival. “I was here in 2025 but after winning the Road March in Guyana, being in Trinidad was more like a time for rest last year.” 

Her Road March win was a big deal, she says, noting that unlike the Monarch, the Road March is completely chosen by the people. “The title holds weight because the people want to hear the song and that was the moment when I said, it wasn’t for the judges, or me, it was for the people. The people loved it!” 

Patient, yet tremendously encouraged, Omaiah Hall is steadily pursuing her career in Soca. “I’m yet to travel internationally but I will soon. My music travels more than I have and that’s actually creating room for me to travel because I have a few places to go this year,” she said. 

For more on Guyana’s Omaiah Hall, follow her on Instagram @omaiahhallofficial and Facebook @iamomaiahhall.