(Oranjestad)âOn Saturday night, the Tumba Festival took place at the Aruba Carnival & Entertainment Village in San Nicolas, whereâfor the first time in the history of the festivalâthe crown went to both a father and his daughter, marking a legacy for the Franken family.
The festival began on Friday night with the childrenâs and youth participants. During the colorful evening, three different performances were presented, starting with Jaymerson Kelly and his song âOloshi Cana Pami,â which stood out as a favorite among the crowd in attendance. Alyna Henriquez, with her song âNos Por,â also caused a stir in the competition, and Hailey Cataleya Koolman delivered a sublime performance with âBan Cargâe.â Despite being a very small category, the audience greatly enjoyed the lineup.
In the Childrenâs category, Jaymerson Kelly was crowned King of Tumba Kids 2026.
There was also the Teens category, in which several performances captured the audienceâs attention. Participants in this category included Caylee Pietersz with her song âMacutu Magicoâ; Jayvion Machado with âAmorâ; Geovon Maduro with âDrecha mi pa mi bayâ; Reanne Ras with âMirâe Lastra Binâ; Ayshelyne Trimon with âLastra Lastraâ; Melody Franken with âBan cu miâ; and Stephanie Quandt with her song âEy mi ta bay.â
All were strong participants with tremendous performances. In this category, Melody Franken was crowned Queen of Tumba Teens 2026. This is Melodyâs second title; she was also Queen of Tumba Teens 2025.
After the festival concluded for the younger categories, it continued with the adult category, which featured six bands with their singers competing for the Tumba crown.
The King of Tumba crown went to Roderick âRoccoâ Franken, representing his band Buleria with their song âDecreto Oficial.â With this, both Rocco and Melodyâfather and daughterâbecame the first family to win the Tumba Festival.
