‘Dead or Alive’ wins Road March race

TOBAGO singing sensation Shurwayne Winchester walloped all competition by winning the Road March title for the second consecutive Carnival — continuing a trend of double victories this Carnival season which was started by Bunji Garlin in the International Soca Monarch race and the irrepressible Mighty Chalkdust who retained his Calypso Monarch title. Winchester’s mega hit “Dead or Alive” swept away the competition leaving in its wake early season contenders from artistes including Destra Garcia, KMC and Iwer George.

No one doubted Winchester’s victory this year as his song received great airplay throughout the Carnival season. In addition to the overall Road March title, Winchester was also announced as the Downtown Port-of-Spain Road March winner. His song was played a total of 81 times in downtown PoS, while Machel Montano came second with 13 plays and KMC third with 11 plays. Winchester, whose birthday was on Carnival Monday, received a fitting belated birthday present  as his song was played 386 times compared to the paltry 41 times for Machel Montano’s “Madder Than That,” which placed second in the Road March race.

Winchester improved on his performance in Carnival 2004, when his offering “Look The Band Coming,” tallied 255 plays en route to Road March glory. KMC, who many expected would have gone neck and neck for the Road March title, surprisingly did not place second as his song was displaced by Montano’s “Madder Than That.” Montano in fact improved his Road March placings this year, compared to Carnival 2004 when his song “Insane,” garnered him third position in the 2004 Road March race.

Efforts to reach Winchester yesterday for comment proved futile as he was said to be at home getting some much needed rest after the hectic Carnival season. Winchester’s manager, Ellis Chow Li On, told Newsday that he (Winchester) strained his voice box due to almost non-stop singing on the road Carnival Tuesday and with the overall hectic season. According to Chow Li On, “Shurwayne does not even know he won the Road March.  “The results were announced and he was in dreamland.”