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]
Drupatee Ramgoonai is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian chutney and chutney soca musician. She was responsible for coining the term "chutney soca" in 1987 with her first album, entitled Chutney Soca, which included both English and Hindustani versions of the songs. She had her biggest hit the following year when her "(Roll Up the Tassa) Mr. Bissessar" was a Road March contender. She was instrumental in tassa and chutney soca finding its place in Carnival and her efforts later led to competitions such as Chutney Soca Monarch.
Rikki Jai is an Indo-Trinidadian chutney and chutney-soca musician.
Austin Lyons, better known as Superblue, Super Blue and Blueboy, is a Trinidadian calypsonian, soca musician, and lyricist.
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Machel Montano is a Trinidadian soca recording artist and record producer. Known for his high energy, fast-paced, and often unpredictable on-stage performances, he is one of the genre's most popular artists.
Shurwayne Winchester is a Tobagonian soca musician from The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, who has twice won the Road March title.
Ken Marlon Charles a.k.a. KMC is a soca artist from Trinidad. He is famous for songs like "Soul on Fire", "Soca Bashment", and "Bashment to Carnival". KMC is signed to the US-based record label Sequence Records. Considered to be one of Trinidad's top soca artists, KMC has over sixteen years experience in the music industry. He has made a name for himself as a solo artist, songwriter, producer and frontman of the band Red, White & Black.
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Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez is a Trinidadian soca recording artist and songwriter. She is also known by the stage names Lyon Empress, Mane the Matriarch, and the Silver Surfer, a nickname which she claimed during her performance at the 2008 International Soca Monarch. Personally she's married to Bunji Garlin.
International Soca Monarch is an annual soca music competition/fete event, the finals of which are held on every Carnival Friday in Trinidad and Tobago. Contestants in the event vie for two separate crowns or titles, the International Soca Monarch for uptempo songs, and Groovy Soca Monarch for slower-paced songs. Between 2016 and 2018 a change in format meant that contestants vied for only one award but this one category changed was reversed in 2019. In 2016 an additional award was added, called the People's Choice, then subsequently removed, which involves text message voting by Digicel subscribers. Subscribers could have voted multiple times for their favorite artist during the competition and the artist who received the most votes was given an additional cash prize. The International Soca Monarch competition has become the mecca event for soca artists in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) where the event has been hosted since its inception; and also the rest of the Caribbean region, as many artists who have competed on its stage have moved on to successful soca careers. Dubbed the "Super Bowl of soca music" it is a highly anticipated and well-attended event that has been graced with internationally acclaimed recording artists such as SuperBlue, Machel Montano, Fay Ann Lyons Superblue's daughter and Bunji Garlin's wife, Kevin Lyttle, Rupee and Fay-Ann's husband Bunji Garlin.
Heavenly Drum is an album released by popular Soca artist Machel Montano from Trinidad and Tobago in 2009. It was first launched at J&R Music World in New York City on June 19, 2009. The album marks Machel Montano's third solo release after rebranding to Machel Montano HD in 2007.
Fox Fuse is a leading digital music label for Caribbean music and is the largest label worldwide for soca and chutney music. Based in Tampa, Florida, Fox Fuse has built a strong reputation working with superstar clients such as Pitbull, Lil Jon and Shaggy, and has some of the top performers and producers in Caribbean music exclusively-signed to its roster.
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"Differentology" is a song by Trinidadian singer and songwriter Bunji Garlin. "Differentology" was released by Sheriff Music on November 7, 2012, as one of the first of Garlin's offerings for the 2013 Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago. The song was written by Garlin, and produced by Keron Thompson. Garlin stated that the song came to him while in an impromptu session with the guitarist.
Gamal Doyle, better known as Skinny Fabulous, is a Vincentian musician, singer and songwriter. He is a five-time Soca Monarch winner for his home country Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and created history in Trinidad and Tobago winning the 2019 Road March title with his hit "Famalay" which features Trinidadian soca artistes Ian "Bunji Garlin" Alvarez and Machel Montano.
Differentology is an album by soca singer Bunji Garlin released in 2014 by RCA/VP Records. The album peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard Reggae Albums chart.