She has given us great music. Whether the songs she’s delivered time and time again, have made it to the mainstream soca circuit in Trinidad and Tobago, is another story. For Terri Lyons, her fight to maintain the true sound of the Soca genre, is more important. She believes we’re losing the essence of what Soca is, altering the sound a bit too much, something she says will have adverse effects for the culture of Trinidad and Tobago, in years to come.

Terri Lyons wants youths to be educated from early childhood, on the various cultural elements of Trinidad and Tobago.

EBUZZTT.COM spoke with the younger of SuperBlue’s two daughters in entertainment, recently. She admitted that evolution, while often hard to accept, is essentially inevitable, but lamented that while much is changing about Soca music’s sound, the attitude of the population when it comes to accepting the genre’s worth and that of the artistes who give so much of themselves, to keep it going, is not changing. “One thing that isn’t changing much is our attitude toward our own culture- to us, to keeping our heritage and history alive,” said the younger Lyons. She wants the people of Trinidad and Tobago particularly, to defend the genre more. Lyons is also calling on the powers that be, to play a more instrumental role in influencing the youth from a young age, to appreciate the culture of the country. “Every school in T&T should have a pan room- a properly sound proofed pan room. That is our national instrument. That is something we should have. We have no respect,” said a passionate Lyons.

The young mother of one who doubles up as a frontline vocalist with Nadia Batson’s all female band, SASS, says while many people would not want to hear what she has to say on this topic, she feels Trinidad and Tobago places more effort on promoting foreign artists that they do, their own. “A lot is changing but again I say, the attitude toward our own culture, isn’t. There is just too much back biting in the industry and a lack of appreciation for the artistes,” she argued.

Lyons has teamed up with Grenada’s Mr. Killa on a brand new single ahead of Carnival 2019.

Terri has released a new single with Grenada’s Mr. Killa. The track which is called, “Wey Yuh Dey” is described as a call for all Caribbean people to show the rest of the world, just how hard islanders party. The track is laced with Afro beats and rides the Afro Jab riddim. She certainly isn’t against collaborations and fusing the sounds of the Caribbean, but for Lyons, the heartbeat of Soca must not be sacrificed for global appeal. She says when it comes to the soca music genre, she feels there should be no compromises and the world should know it as Soca- regardless of how it’s spelt. She says any attempt to change the name of the genre, which was birthed in Trinidad and Tobago, is disrespectful and should never be accepted.

Her only son, Mathias, a major driving force in her life, Terri is calling for more to be done in the school system in Trinidad and Tobago, to educate the impressionable youth on the history of T&T’s culture. “Kids in school need to be educated about our culture. They know more about Fetty Wap and Lil Uzi, than they know about Kitchener and Sparrow or Cro Cro, or Shadow. We have to start to educate the kids from young,” she pleaded.

Lyons said it is sad that many of this country’s foundation artistes, on whose shoulders soca music was borne, are not being respected in the land of their birth. “We talk a lot of big talk about this and that, but the people in charge really aren’t doing anything,” she said.

CHECK OUT TERRI’S NEW SINGLE WITH MR. KILLA.