The Lost Tribe’s 2026 Large Band of the Year triumph did not feel routine, nor was it treated that way.
This is according to the band’s Creative Director, Valmiki Maharaj, who said the band’s fourth consecutive win, now fifth overall, seems like a “light at the end of a tunnel.”
Even in a season of celebration, he said the band is pushing forward with humility, shaped by loss and driven by responsibility.
He explained how the pressures of the year and the loss of two beloved Committee members changed the meaning of the win.
“Coming out of last year into this year, I don’t think I or we saw it as challenging, but as the year progressed, things happened that I think tested our strength and faith. This year, we lost two amazing family members, Hiram and Shaleka, and we want to dedicate this win to them.”
Despite the loss, he said one moment on the road lifted the band’s spirits.
“We grew up on Machel’s music. And for many of us, you know, they grew up with Machel. To have him perform on one of our trucks, to have any of our Soca artistes perform on one of our trucks, is such an honour. I think it gives a level of validity and encouragement to what we do. But to have him perform on Piccadilly Street was particularly something for me.”
Even with the title secured, he insists that The Lost Tribe is not easing up. He made it clear that, despite the title, the band refuses to take any of it for granted.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s necessarily a goal, but what I would say is if it’s in front of me, I’m going to go for it, 100%. I respect the people who came before me. I’ve said this so many times before, I never thought in my life I would ever be in the same room or conversations with these legends that were before us.”
With four straight victories, The Lost Tribe now sits among Carnival’s elite, but Mr. Maharaj insists the responsibility matters more than the trophy.
“No two years is ever going to be the same. No two storylines are ever going to be the same. I think there’s something real significant this year for me about this win being related to our storyline about our traditional characters. Sometimes there’s an argument of old mas versus modern mas, traditional mas versus bikini and bead mas, and there’s always some something in between there and I always feel like what we doing that for? You know? The mas is the mas and it belongs to all of us. The mas has a way of becoming exactly what you need it to be when you need it to be.”
The Lost Tribe secured the Large Band of the Year title, following the results announced on Ash Wednesday, securing 1,351 points with its presentation, “The Island Circus.”