Bunji Garlin | |
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![]() Bunji Garlin and Fay-Ann Lyons 2014 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Ian Antonio Alvarez |
Born | Arima, Trinidad | July 14, 1978
Genres | Reggae, soca, dancehall |
Occupation(s) | Musician, producer, songwriter |
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 1999–present |
Labels | VP, RCA |
Spouse | Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez |
Ian Antonio Alvarez [1] (born July 14, 1978), better known by his stage name Bunji Garlin, is a Trinidadian ragga soca artist. He is also affectionately known as the Viking of Soca. His spouse is Fay-Ann Lyons. [2]
Bunji was born on July 14, 1978, in Arima, Trinidad. [3] He is of Saint Lucian and Venezuelan descent. [4]
He married fellow soca artist Fay-Ann Lyons on December 23, 2006, daughter of successful soca singer Superblue. [5] He is also a second cousin of singer Patrice Roberts, who performs alongside the popular Machel Montano. [6]
Bunji has won Trinidad's Soca Monarch/International Soca Monarch competition on several occasions: 2002 (tied with Iwer George) with "Down in the Ghetto", [7] 2004 with "Warrior Cry", [8] 2005 with "Blaze the Fire" Both songs were produced by then band member Shawn Noel (Da Ma$tamind) [9] and 2008 with "Fiery" [10] He placed second in the International Soca Monarch 2009 with "Clear De Road", while his pregnant wife Fay-Ann Lyons placed first with "Meet Super Blue". [11] She also won the Groovy Soca Monarch title that same night with "Heavy T Bumpa".
Bunji Garlin's "Brrt" is featured on the Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack. [12]
In 2013, Garlin won the Soul Train Award for Best International Performance for the song "Differentology", which features Nigel Rojas on guitar. [13] An album of the same name was released by RCA Records and VP Records in August 2014. [14] [15]
In 2017 he released Turn Up, his highest chart placing to date, reaching no. 3 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. [16] On Sunday, September 24, 2017 Garlin was bestowed with a national award of T&T, the Hummingbird Medal (Silver). [17] A song by Garlin entitled "All or Nothing", also appeared upon the pilot of the Netflix tv series Impulse. [18]