Soca master Austin “Super Blue” Lyons captured his ninth Road March title with “Fantastic Friday,” beating his nearest rival, defending champion, Machel Montano with a phenomenal score of 511 plays to 56.
Super Blue’s runaway hit was most played on Carnival Monday and Tuesday at the seven judging points throughout Trinidad and Tobago.
Super Blue and Machel Montano had tied for first place in the International Soca Monarch 2013 competition on Fantastic Friday.
This marks Super Blue’s night Road March title- his last won on the road being 2000’s “Pump Up.”
Montano took the Road March title last year with “Pump Yuh Flag.” This year his song was “Float.”
Super Blue’s victory is being hailed by many as possibly the best comeback in history of soca and since his return to the stage in 2013 after an absence of 13 years.
Super Blue’s power hit was the most played song of a road march over the past three years and is believed to be the most played ever. JW and Blaze’s “Palance” has the second highest plays in recent times with a total of 417 in 2010.
Super Blue’s victory also makes him only the second artiste to win the Road March nine times, with the late Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) holding the record of 10 victories. Slinger Francisco, best known as The Mighty Sparrow, held the title eight times.
Super Blue first won the Road March in l980 when he sang under the sobriquet “Blue Boy” with “Soca Baptist.”
His last victory was a tie with Iwer George in 2000 when he renamed himself “Super Blue,” which he now goes by.
Meanwhile, mas man Brian MacFarlane has made history as being the first bandleader to win the Large Band of the Year title seven years in a row, but it is a bittersweet victory as this is his last Carnival.
MacFarlane won with his presentation “Joy’- The Finale” breaking the record held by the late bandleader Wayne Berkley who won the title six years in a row.
Mc Farlane said it was great knowing he won the title seven times.
“That’s a great feeling to think in all the years of the history of Carnival we have to come to this that is an amazing feeling” he said.
Coming in second place was Ronne and Caro with their presentation “Mystery of the Cascadura” and third was Trinidad All Stars Orchestra with the presentation “Fleets In.”
