Fay-Ann Lyons
Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez is a Trinidadian soca recording artist and songwriter. She is also known by such titles as the Lyon Empress, Mane the Matriarch and the Silver Surfer, a nickname which she claimed during her performance at the 2008 International Soca Monarch.
Early life and career
Fay-Ann was born in Point Fortin, Trinidad to parents Austin Lyons and Lynette Steele. Who is also a sister to Winston "Gypsy" Peters hence the gypsy part of her stage nameFay-Ann Lyons is a three-time Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Road March champion and the 2009 International Soca Monarch and International Groovy Soca Monarch champion. She created history 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 to win the Power, Groovy and People's Choice awards on Fantastic 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 woman to accomplish that feat while pregnant. Fay-Ann is the youngest solo artist, still actively recording, with multiple wins of the Carnival Road March crown.. 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 Lewis who won 2 Road March crowns in 1975 and 1976 and Alison Hinds Of Barbados who won 2 Road March titles in 1996 and 1997. Fay-Ann and husband Bunji Garlin also became parents in 2009 to a daughter, Syri, 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 & BET's 106 & Park, Coachella, Glastonbury Festival, London's Coronet, Berlin Carnival-Germany and, BET X Live. She is officially the new record holder for the most up-tempoes ever released by a female Soca musician with 25 up-tempoes surpassing the previous record of 21 up-tempoes set by Alison Hinds of Barbados
Background
Now an official member of the Asylum band, founded by husband, Ian Alvarez Bunji Garlin. Fay-Ann 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' which was an annual event during the pre-Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago featuring a musical 'battle' between the hottest soca bands.As songwriter
Fay-Ann writes many of her own songs, having learnt from her father, Superblue, who has won the Carnival Road March title nine times, and is a seven-time winner of the Trinidad Soca Monarch competition, which is the predecessor of the current International Soca Monarch. Fay-Ann's compositions have earned several nominations and wins of Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago music awards including Female Songwriter of the Year and she has also received honours from the Soca Awards Organization for her music. Fay-Ann was profiled along with other top local and internationally renowned artists Machel Montano, 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
2020 Tun Up. 2020 Angry No Begging 2019 Marc 2019Touchdown 2019
Feel Good, 2019
Carnival, 2016 Block D Roadside 2016 Scene, 2016 Raze 2015 . Keep Some 2015
Break The World 2015 Drift 2015 Catch Me 2014
Gimmie That 2014 Done D Party 2014
F, 2013 De Stage Open, 2013
We Doin This Owah, 2013 Formula 2013
DIMIT, with 5 Miles to Midnight, 2012
Miss Behave, 2012
Denial, 2012
All Over, with 'The Baron' 2012
Pressure On It, 2011
Consider It Done, 2011
Din Ta Da, with Nigel Salickram 2011
Iron and Steel, 2010
Call Me, with Bunji Garlin, 2010
Judgement Day, with 3Canal and Brother Resistance, 2010
Start Wining, 2010
Ah Something, 2010
True Lies, 2010
Bring It,, 2010
Three Colours, Trinidad Stories, 2009
Meet SuperBlue, The Best of the Best Soca Hits 2009, 2009
Heavy T Bumper, Best of the Best Soca Grooves 2009, 2009
Wine Faster,, 2009
Get On, The Best of the Best Soca Hits 2008, 2008
Road Call, The best of the Best Soca Hits 2008, 2008
Who Standing, 2008
Lyrics King and Lyon Empress,, 2007
The Game of Love and Unity,, 2007
Make Ah Stage, Trini Bashment Compilation 2K7 91.9 FM 2007
John Quickie, Da Mastamind Project 2 2007
Kya Jadu Hai,, 2007
Party,, Trini Bashment 2006 Vol. 2, 2006
Somebody, Next Direction, 2006
Happy, Next Direction, 2006
That is Carnival, The Best of the Best Soca 2006: The Red Hot Compilation, Soca Gold 10th Anniversary, 2006
One Day, Da Ma$tamind Project, 2006
Breakaway, Trini Bashment Soca Compilation & Party Mix, 2005
Send Dem, Flamestorm, 2005
Wave to the Sky, 2005
Freedom, 2004
Clear De Road,, 2004
Display, Iwer And Family: Ah Home, 2003
Focus, Iwer And Family: Ah Home, 2003
It's My Turn Now, Road March and Soca Monarch 2002 CD, 2002
Filmography
As HerselfInternational Soca & Groovy Soca Monarch '06
Soca Power In Trinidad & Tobago
Soca Gold 2008
Soca Gold 2007
Nikki on de Promenade
Awards
NEA Afrosoca ArtistSAO Soca Collaboration of the Year: Call Me
SAO Best Up-tempo Soca – Female: True Lies
NACC Top 20 Award: Tribute To Super Blue
SAO Hall Of Fame Award
SAO Soca Song Writer of the Year: Heavy T, Meet Super Blue, Wine Faster
SAO Overall Female Soca Artist of the Year
SAO Female Soca Performer of the Year
SAO Favorite Groove Soca – Female: Heavy T
SAO Favorite Up-tempo Soca – Female: Meet Super Blue
COTT Soca of the Year: Get On
SAO Female Soca Performer of the Year: Get On
SAO Overall Female Soca Artist of the Year: Get On
SAO Favorite Up-tempo Soca – Female: Get On
SAO Soca Song of the Year: Get On
COTT New Songwriter of the Year: Display
COTT Female Songwriter of the Year: Display
COTT Song of the Year: Display
;List of abbreviations
NEA: Nigerian Entertainment Award
COTT: Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago
NACC: National Action Cultural Committee
SAO: Soca Awards Organization
Carnival crowns
2003: Carnival Road March2008: Carnival Road March
2009: Carnival Road March
2009: International Soca Monarch
2009: Groovy Soca Monarch
2009: International Soca Monarch: People's Choice
2010: International Soca Awards: Best Up-Tempo Soca - Female