There’s nothing like a woman with a sick lyrical aptitude. When that woman’s the daughter of one of the Caribbean’s most decorated Soca artistes and the wife of the lyricist himself, that ability triples. It’s Friday and Fay-Ann Lyons and her husband Bunji Garlin have both unleashed two riveting social commentary type soca tracks, this as the path to the most anticipated season, Carnival 2019, becomes vividly apparent.
Fan-Ann Lyons wants fetters to go back to the days of true enjoyment and feting with wild abandon.
The husband and wife duo has been rallying for international support for flood victims in Trinidad over the past week, but their philanthropic work in their homeland has not affected their desire to impact the world with good lyrical content. For quite some time, Fay Ann has been blunt about the way feting (partying), particularly in Trinidad and Tobago has been affected by the advent of social media and mobile technology. The new single, “Feel Good”, produced by Badjohn Republic, addresses the matter in a very powerful way.
Bunji Garlin’s single on the track addresses rumours.
Her new release comes on the heels of the death of one of T&T’s and the Caribbean’s most loved Calypso icons, the man who gave us ‘Poverty is Hell’ and “Yuh Looking For Horn”, songs that spoke of issues faced by so many. Winston Bailey, best known as the Mighty Shadow was, like many other calypsonians, a man who spoke about what he saw. The Soca dynamic is often less controversial, with artistes more inclined to sing songs to entice enjoyment and dancing, more than thought and conversation. Fay Ann’s ‘Feel Good’ along with Garlin’s ‘See Meh’- a song that speaks of rumours, are both tracks with powerful difference. Bunji, in particular, has been known to use his Soca platform to speak up, from time to time. In 2001, he had given soca lovers ‘Licks’- a track that spoke on the issue of sexual assault against women. Fiery as could be, his effective tone and new age Soca force had placed the spotlight directly on the issue, while at the same time, giving fete lovers a rhythm they couldn’t help but move to.
The Foli Riddim features other artistes. M1 has a track called, ‘Shy’ and songwriter Dale Ryan comes front with ‘Mama’. Another female artiste, Jonelle, has a track by the riddim’s name and Salty rounds it up with ‘Body Good’- a really old school, flavorful anthem.
The time has come for good vibes to counteract all negative energy and together with his manager/producer, US based, Trinidadian artiste, Mr. Lee it doing what he feels he can, to inject that positivity.“I know the streets. I can tell you about the streets. Badness and the roughness is what they know. If they got the chance to get to know something else, they would do something else,” said the entertainer.
His music is refreshing. Afrobeats, coupled with Soul and RnB bring to life, a song on The Only 1 Riddim, that he calls, “Take Care.” For Mr. Lee, an artiste with many years of experience on the entertainment circuit overseas, and in the Caribbean, he is mindful of what he sings. “This type of music is necessary at all times to spread love and joy. I wish there could have been more beautiful messages all the time because it’s really important to spread love,” he said with hope.
Joining artistes like Preedy and Christo on the riddim, Mr. Lee is proud of the project. “This project means a whole lot to me. I have two girls and my wife and I have to express my love to them every single day of my life. I have my mom, my sisters, and I have to show them all the love I have within me. All the artistes on this riddim have done the same – we all expressed what we want to express to our loved ones. Most are real stories that can be relatable to others in society,” he explained.
On the topic of love and the importance of understanding what love is, Mr. Lee said for human beings to share love, they must first feel love. “If your father is not showing you love, how will you know love. Most of our youths have no parents around them. They are being influenced by a harsh representation of love, which really, is not love.” At the same time, he called on the elders within societies around the world, to try to strike a balance with the youth, especially in present time. “When I was growing up, the older heads never wanted to release a lot to the youths; they never wanted to give the youths a chance. People in positions of power must give the youths a chance to prove themselves. They have great ideas, but they need mentorship and guidance,” he said.
“Take Care,” written by Joseph ‘Pronto’ Figueroa, is a quality single with a passionate plea for more honest, kind, loving relational experiences. Unlike much of today’s lyrics, Mr. Lee keeps it classy, maintaining a thoughtful approach to music, with lyrics that penetrate. “The raw thoughts – we never heard that as youths. Some things should be kept personal,” he opined. An advocate for goodness, Mr. Lee is calling on men around the world to show their companions more love, in the right way. “Everybody wants to fight and kill. They don’t want to talk about things properly. We need to talk to our spouses more. We need to learn how to communicate better and spend more time with our loved ones.”
Happy to have enjoyed a successful run in Carnival 2026, in Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Lee is working on new music even as he promotes this brand-new track. “I’m working on new Soca to release for the Summer. I’m working, and I’m happy with the progress I’ve been able to make so far. It’s a process,” he said of being in the music business.
The state-to-state carnival wave set to begin in the US soon, Mr. Lee says this year he is looking forward to heading to Miami for Carnival there and will be back home in T&T, come Carnival 2027. In the meantime, the T&T native and dedicated family man is spreading love through good music that he knows is absolutely necessary at this time.
Caribbean entertainment doesn’t sleep. Proof of that comes in the release of brand new music, this time courtesy the superstar duo of Full Blown – brothers, Kevon and Kory Hart. Their new track, “No Stress” has been released complete with a new music video and it’s a big look for the duo.
No Stress is a vibrant, feel-good anthem that continues the duo’s evolution from soca favourites into one of the Caribbean’s most versatile and globally resonant musical acts.
Known for their strong songwriting skills, undeniable chemistry and sonic fearlessness, brothers Kevon and Kory have steadily built a reputation for creating music that transcends borders, generations and genres. Over the years, Full Blown has become synonymous with high-energy Caribbean songwriting, penning and producing hits that have dominated Carnival seasons, regional charts and party playlists across the diaspora.
Now, with No Stress, the duo taps into dancehall nostalgia while pushing Caribbean fusion music into fresh territory. The track reimagines the iconic Shabba Ranks classic Ting A Ling, blending vintage dancehall energy with Full Blown’s contemporary Caribbean flavour.
The release follows the brothers’ success with the track, The Greatest Bend Over (Take It Easy) alongside Yung Bredda, a crossover hit that amassed more than 40 million streams worldwide and was described by Billboard Magazine as “culture-quaking.”
“People know us for soca hits and high-energy music, but this record really reflects who we are creatively,” said Kevon. “We grew up influenced by so many sounds across the Caribbean. We are a happy, joyful, fun-loving people. We just want good vibes. No stress.”
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