The Tobago Soca Titan winner has earned automatic qualification for the reintroduced International Soca Monarch competition.
This was announced by Secretary of Tourism, Antiquities and Creative Industries Zorisha Hackett.
“They automatically qualify for the semi-finals of the International Soca Monarch that resumes next year. So we signed a really good deal with the managers of the competition, and the Tobago winner automatically qualifies.”
The announcement was made after the Soca Titans competition. For 2026 winner Tam Tam, the news, along with his victory, came as a surprise.
“Well, I am telling you I was planning to enter the Soca Monarch, but now I am automatically in the semi-finals, so it is a big help for me so I could just put my best foot forward for the semi-finals to enter into the finals and represent Tobago very proud, and go hard. Tobago would have to follow me to Trinidad now, so Tam Tam… I am on the road and Tobago on my shoulder.”
Meanwhile, Secretary Hackett explained that, after witnessing the significant improvement in the soca music produced by Tobago artistes, the THA wanted to find a way for Trinidadians to appreciate the island’s talent.
“I just realised that when we work so hard in Tobago, we need to go on the international stage, and so when you know people, and you let them see how much it has grown over the five years, we didn’t want Tobagonian artistes because you saw the quality of the productions tonight, and you saw how much we grew from year one to this year and so on. And so we sat with Mr Kwesi Hopkinson, who is one of the managers of the new ISM.”
She pointed out that, in the fifth year of the Tobago Carnival, the island is closer to producing a sound that is uniquely identifiable but also powerful enough to be appreciated on the national stage.
“I just want Tobagonians to understand the product that we have here and how we have been able to harness our own sound. I think Foster General Sound especially gives that Tobago creativity to it. I mean, using our national bird and using that as the background music for it, and that is what we always wanted.”
Tobago Carnival is expected to bring revellers onto the streets of Scarborough for J’ouvert, Pan and Powder, Night Mas and Pretty Mas over the weekend, as Tobago artistes compete for the island’s first Road March title.