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Aisha Manrique, the signature voice and Head Writer of the Caribbean Music Awards, prepares to bring the region’s biggest music celebration home to Port-of-Spain on September 19.
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad — The Caribbean Music Awards is coming home to Trinidad and Tobago for the first time. It is setting the stage for a landmark night of music, culture and regional pride on September 19, 2026. As Caribbean and international stars prepare to gather in Port-of-Spain, one Trinidad-born creative will be heard at the heart of it all. That creative is Aisha Manrique, the signature voice and Head Writer behind the production.
Known as the voice that guides the Caribbean Music Awards, Manrique has narrated the show since its inception. She has brought tone, authority and elegance to one of the region’s most visible celebrations of Caribbean creativity.
“I am extremely excited that the Caribbean Music Awards is being held at home in Trinidad and Tobago this year,” said Manrique, a native of South Trinidad.
Voice of God Announcer
Manrique first joined the Caribbean Music Awards three years ago as the show’s Voice of God announcer, after a series of meetings and panel interviews. The production team later expanded her role, naming her Head Writer after reviewing her body of work.
Today, she writes and narrates the full live production, including nomination packages, host scripts, presenter scripts and show-night copy. She says, “It’s a lot of work, but I am tremendously grateful to be doing what I love.”
For Manrique, the 2026 staging in Trinidad and Tobago is more than a professional milestone. After years of announcing from behind the scenes in sneakers and jeans, she navigated the pace of a live production schedule. Now, she says this year offers a rare chance to fully experience the glamour of the moment at home. She adds, “Having my team with me to prepare and make this moment memorable is something I’m looking forward to.”
Manrique says this year she’s looking forward to wearing a gown and getting some photos taken while doing the work that she has dedicatedly done for the past three years, behind the scenes. She shares, “I can at least be a part of the glamorous side of things this year,” she laughed.
Using Her Talents
From San Fernando to the world, Aisha’s journey has been one filled with lessons and testimonies. An entrepreneur now, having answered her life’s calling a few years ago, Aisha says her mother’s insistence on key things, has shaped her path.
“As a young child I would envision myself standing in front of thousands and thousands of people and using my voice. My first audience was made up of my uncles and grandmother. I remember my mother waking me up at 5am every morning to work on pronunciation, breathing and posture. Of course, as a child I wasn’t happy about that but now, I appreciate it so much.”
Her mother has since passed away. However, Aisha Manrique is inspiring many these days, having been taught the principles of life, focus and dedication, by the woman who was her tower of strength throughout her life.
A Communications and Confidence Strategist, Public Speaking Coach, Copywriter, International Voiceover Talent and Live Announcer, Vocal Health Instructor, Master Storyteller, Aisha Manrique is moving onward with a distinct level of pride in how she serves.
Voice Production and Training Company
Her company, Voicey Versa Productions Ltd., is based in the Caribbean. It is a production and training company. It transforms how people and organizations use voice, communication, and stories to make impact. She trains and coaches professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives, public figures, and performers. In addition, she helps them craft compelling messages. These messages resonate, convert, and inspire. She also equips them with the skills to speak with confidence, clarity and authority. Her mother would be proud.
“My plan for my business is to better position the company as a safe space for persons to use their voices. If there’s someone who just wants to preach a sermon with a message, or if a person wants to post a video on social media and they need more confidence to engage broader audiences, Voicey Versa will be that safe space to learn,” she said, adding,
“There are many people walking around with struggles internally and they are being silenced because of self-sabotage, imposter syndrome and negative thinking. I know what that feels like,” she noted.
Crediting several experiences throughout her life for her present success, Aisha says there is immense power in pushing past fear.
At 15 years old, she attended the Rotary Leadership Awards Conference, where students represented secondary schools from across the Caribbean. During that experience, she confronted her fear. She stood up when others did not after one of the event’s sponsors, Percy Parker Williams, called on her to respond.
“He gave me a challenge to come up with a concept for an ad- a men’s cologne. He said he would give me 15 minutes. I said I just needed 1 minute and the whole auditorium erupted,” she recalls.
“I created an ad and delivered in a seductive, female voice right there on the spot. The crowd cheered me on and Mr. Parker said I had something special. He awarded me a scholarship to pursue broadcasting and I’ve never looked back,” said Aisha.
There are many testimonies of her journey’s alignment with her gift and natural calling. For Aisha Manrique, her life’s work rests in God’s grace. She has continued to use her gift in service to others.
On September 19th, Caribbean artistes and other creatives will enjoy the fruit of their work in Port-of-Spain. On that day, her voice will tell the world just how special they are.
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