Road March 2004 race wide open

THE RACE for the 2004 Road March crown is wide open if airplay at the Queen’s Park Savannah and downtown Port-of-Spain yesterday is anything to go by. From the moment proceedings started at 8 am at the Savannah, Traffik frontman Shurwayne Winchester galloped into an early lead with his infectious “Look de Band Coming.” Winchester’s cause was ably assisted by his fellow artistes Blue Ventures, JMC Triveni, Double D and Imij and Company who played healthy doses of the Tobagonian’s popular tune to the assembled patrons in the North and Grand Stand.

However, surging through the dust cloud left by Winchester’s wake was Atlantik songbird Destra Garcia who appeared aboard one of Masqueraders’ sound truck to make her own play for the Road March crown “with Bonnie and Clyde.”  Behind Garcia, was Machel Montano’s “Insane” while Maximus Dan’s “Soca Train” and Shadow’s “Whap Cocoyea” were struggling to keep up. The story was different, however, in downtown Port-of-Spain where “Look de Band Coming” appeared to be slightly behind “Insane” and “Bonnie and Clyde.” Last year’s Road March Monarch Faye Ann Lyons’ “Freedom” was clearly out of the running at both venues.

With the Merry Monarch of Carnival due to make his departure from Trinidad and Tobago at midnight, it is anybody’s guess as to whether Montano can relive 1997 all over again when he rolled to Road March victory with “De Big Truck” or whether Winchester or Garcia will cop the crown for the first time.