Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez (born November 5, 1980) is a

Trinidadian Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The population of Trinidad is notably diverse, with approximately 35% Indo-Trinidadian, 34% ...

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 International Soca Monarch was an annual soca music competition/fete event. The finals were traditionally held on every Carnival Friday (aka Fantastic Friday) in Trinidad and Tobago. Contestants in the event vied for two separate crowns or title ...

. Personally she's married to Bunji Garlin.

Early life and career

Fay-Ann was born in

Point Fortin Point Fortin, officially the Republic Borough of Point Fortin, the smallest Borough in Trinidad and Tobago is located in southwestern Trinidad, about southwest of San Fernando, in the historic county of Saint Patrick. After the discovery of ...

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

to parents Austin Lyons (sobriquet

Superblue Austin Lyons (born 25 May 1956), better known as Superblue, Super Blue and Blueboy, is a Trinidadian calypsonian, soca musician, and lyricist. Early life Lyons was born on 25 May 1956 in Point Fortin. His mother is a Grenadian and his fat ...

/SuperBlue, formerly known as Blueboy) and Lynette Steele (sobriquet Lady Gypsy), who is also a sister to Winston "Gypsy" Peters, hence the gypsy part of her stage name. Fay-Ann Lyons is a three-time Trinidad and Tobago

Carnival Road March The Carnival Road March is the musical composition played most often at the "judging points" along the parade route during a Caribbean Carnival. Originating as part of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, the term has been applied to other Caribbea ...

champion (2003, 2008, 2009) and the 2009

and International Groovy Soca Monarch champion. She created history (again) when she won the International Soca Monarch for the first time in 2009, as the first female to win the Power category, and the first individual (male or female) to win the Power, Groovy and People's Choice awards on Fantastic Friday (aka

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

Friday) during the finals of the competition which is held annually in Trinidad. She also went on to win the Carnival Road March that year, becoming the first soca artist to win that soca 'triplet' of titles. She is the first (and only) woman to accomplish that feat while pregnant. Fay-Ann is the youngest solo artist (male or female), still actively recording, with multiple wins of the

crown. (

Machel Montano Machel Montano (born 24 November 1974)Thompson, Dave (2002), ''Reggae & Soca Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 300–301. is a Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidadian Soca music, soca recording artist and record producer. Known for his high energy, fast-pa ...

is the youngest male with multiple wins, now that he has four solo wins and a joint win with

Patrice Roberts Patrice Roberts (born 11 April 1986) is a Trinidadian soca singer. She is also a second cousin of singer Bunji Garlin. She came to national attention in 2005 with the hit collaboration "The Islands" alongside cousin Bunji Garlin, written by ...

). Fay-Ann remains the only female artist who has won the Carnival Road March three times, and is the third to attain back-to-back wins in two consecutive years joining fellow Trinidadian Macartha

Calypso Rose Calypso Rose or Linda McCartha Monica Sandy-Lewis (born April 27, 1940, in Bethel Village, Tobago) is a Trinidad and Tobago calypsonian. She started writing songs at the age of 13; over the years, she has composed more than 1000 songs and record ...

Lewis and

Alison Hinds Alison Amanda Hinds (born June 1 1970) is a British-born Bajan soca singer based in Barbados. She is often referred to as the Bajan " Queen of Soca" as a result of her impact on the genre. Biography Alison Hinds was born on 1 June 1970 in Lo ...

of Barbados. Fay-Ann and husband Bunji Garlin also became parents in 2009 to a daughter born on February 28, 2009, just a few weeks after Carnival. Fay-Ann has performed at musical events both locally and abroad. Her on-tour performance events and locations include: Washington DC (2009) & (2017) BET's

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...

(2014),

Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...

(2015),

Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...

(2015), London's Coronet (2015), Berlin Carnival-Germany and, BET X Live (2018). She is officially the new record holder for the most up-tempoes ever released by a female Soca musician with 28 up-tempo soca songs surpassing the previous record of 22 set by

in 2013. In 2003 she won

with "Display" and 5 years later she won it again in 2008 with " Get On " and a third time a year later in 2009 with " Meet Super Blue " she became the second female soca artiste in Trinidad and Tobago to win the Carnival Road March title with an up-tempo soca song after Sanelle Dempster and the second female soca artiste in the English Caribbean to do so in a decade after

of Barbados who won the Road March title in Barbados in 1996 with "Raggamuffiin".

Background

Now an official member of the Asylum band (previously known as "Censation"), founded by husband, Bunji Garlin. Lyons is a former member of the band ''Invazion'' led by Naya George. Fay-Ann became a front-liner for the band Invazion and performed with them at many fete/concert events including the infamous 'Brass Festival' (now defunct) which was an annual event during the pre-Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago featuring a musical 'battle' between the hottest

soca Soca or SOCA may refer to: Government * Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), a former public body of the United Kingdom * Sexual Offences and Community Affairs (SOCA), a South African government unit established to combat gender-based violence ...

bands.

As songwriter

Fay-Ann writes many of her own songs, having learnt from her father,

, who has won the

title nine times (He is second only to Aldwyn Roberts, sobriquet Lord Kitchener), and is a seven-time winner of the Trinidad Soca Monarch competition, which is the predecessor of the current

. Fay-Ann's compositions have earned several nominations and wins of Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT) music awards including Female Songwriter of the Year and she has also received honours (listed in Awards section) from the Soca Awards Organization (SAO) for her music. Fay-Ann was profiled along with other top local and internationally renowned artists

, Bunji Garlin (and Isaac Blackman in the documentary ''Soca Power in Trinidad and Tobago'', the Trinidad edition of the six part film series titled ''Musique Creole''. The documentary is available on DVD.

Discography

Albums

* 2015: ''Raze'' (EP,

VP Records VP Records is an independent Caribbean-owned record label in Queens, New York. The label is known for releasing music by notable artists in reggae, dancehall and soca. VP Records has offices in New York City, Miami, London, Kingston, Tokyo, ...

)

Singles

* 2004: ''Ain't See Nothing/Wine Yeah'' (Bacchanal 45 Records, with Micky Rich) * 2008: ''Helpless Child/Lonely Girl'' (Supersonic Sound, with Bunji Garlin) * 2011: ''All Over'' (Slu Records, with The Baron) * 2012: ''Rum Please (Remix)'' (Energy Music, with Fya Empress)

Filmography

* 2006: International Soca & Groovy Soca Monarch '06 * 2007: Soca Gold 2007 * 2008: Soca Power In Trinidad & Tobago * 2008: Soca Gold 2008 * Nikki on de Promenade

Awards

* NEA: Afrosoca Artist (2017) * SAO: Soca Collaboration of the Year: ''Call Me'' (with Bunji Garlin) (2010) * SAO: Best Up-tempo Soca – Female: ''True Lies'' (2010) * NACC: Top 20 Award: ''Tribute To Super Blue'' (2009) * SAO: Hall Of Fame Award (2009) * SAO: Soca Song Writer of the Year: ''Heavy T'', ''Meet Super Blue'', ''Wine Faster'' (2009) * SAO: Overall Female Soca Artist of the Year (2009) * SAO: Female Soca Performer of the Year (2009) * SAO: Favorite Groove Soca – Female: ''Heavy T'' (2009) * SAO: Favorite Up-tempo Soca – Female: ''Meet Super Blue'' (2009) * COTT: Soca of the Year: ''Get On'' (2008) * SAO: Female Soca Performer of the Year: ''Get On'' (2008) * SAO: Overall Female Soca Artist of the Year: ''Get On'' (2008) * SAO: Favorite Up-tempo Soca – Female: ''Get On'' (2008) * SAO: Soca Song of the Year: ''Get On'' (2008) * COTT: New Songwriter of the Year: ''Display'' (2004) * COTT: Female Songwriter of the Year: ''Display'' (2004) * COTT: Song of the Year: ''Display'' (2004) ;List of abbreviations NEA: Nigerian Entertainment Award COTT: Copyright Organisation of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

NACC: National Action Cultural Committee (

) SAO: Soca Awards Organizatio
www.socaawards.com

Carnival crowns

* 2003:

* 2008: Carnival Road March * 2009: Carnival Road March * 2009:

* 2009: Groovy Soca Monarch * 2009: International Soca Monarch: People's Choice * 2010: International Soca Awards: Best Up-Tempo Soca - Female

References

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Fay Ann Lyons artist page
on

.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyons, Fay-Ann 1980 births Living people Trinidad and Tobago soca musicians 21st-century Trinidad and Tobago women singers 21st-century Trinidad and Tobago singers Trinidad and Tobago people of Grenadian descent VP Records artists