Fans’ calls prompt Bunji to jump back into Road March

Lead Editor – Newsgathering

chester.sambrano@guardian,.co.tt

Soca artiste Bunji Garlin has entered the 2026 Road March competition, after previously declaring he would step away from the contest following last year’s controversy.

Garlin had announced in 2025 that he would no longer participate in future Road March competitions, after narrowly losing the title to Machel Montano by 14 plays. Montano’s Pardy was played 267 times to Garlin’s Carry It at 253, according to figures released by the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation last year, tying Montano with the late Aldwyn “Lord Kitchener” Roberts for 11 Road March titles.

The result sparked debate after a TUCO tabulator prematurely revealed standings during Carnival Tuesday celebrations, prompting claims about the integrity of the competition. In the aftermath, Garlin publicly questioned the trust factor of the contest and supported his wife’s decision to withdraw from future races.

Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, his wife, Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez, said this year’s decision to re-enter the competition came directly from the fans.

“The thing is, right, I mean, we move as a team. When they can’t convince him, they come at me to convince him. And with the utmost love and respect and everything to the fans, it was a tough decision for him, I know, and we had a discussion,” she said.

Lyons-ALvarez explained that she urged Garlin to look beyond personal victory or defeat.

“And I said to him, you know what, at the end of the day, this is not just about you winning something or losing something, this is about the fans literally stepping up and saying, this is what we want from you. So, give it to them,” Lyons-ALvarez said.

She added that once they viewed it through that lens, he agreed.

“And he’s like, well, alright, if that’s what we’re doing, then that’s what we’re doing. So, it really was a decision really spurred on by the fans. The fans are who motivated it, and we discussed it as a team, and we said, okay, cool, that’s what we’re doing.”

Lyons-Alvarez made it clear that the move represents a collective decision rooted in fan demand, signalling a shift from last year’s stance as Garlin returns to the Road March arena.

The deadline to submit songs for the Road March competition was 3 pm yesterday, and the TUCO told Guardian Media that once all the applications are cross-checked and verified, the entire list will be made public.