2019
Famalay
with Machel Montano and Skinny Fabulous — Trinidad Road March, prod Dada
BU
Soca artist · Bouyon collaborator
Bunji Garlin
Bunji Garlin is a Trinidad Soca star — not a Bouyon artist. But he shows up at two pivotal moments in the global Bouyon story. In 2019, he sings on "Famalay" alongside Machel Montano and Skinny Fabulous: the track, produced by Dominican Dada (Krishna Lawrence), wins Trinidad Road March and marks the first Bouyon-to-international-Soca crossover. Between 2022 and 2025, he comes back on the "G.O.A.T. Bouyon Mixes" series with Major Lazer on Mad Decent — first time a global EDM label puts the word Bouyon in an official title. Bunji Garlin is the cross-genre bridge, not a core member.
- Role
- Soca artist · Bouyon collaborator
- Origin
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Period
- 2000-2026
- Territories
- Trinidad and Tobago · United States · United Kingdom · Caribbean · International
Why this profile matters
Bunji Garlin is one of Trinidad's major Soca voices, multiple Road March, married and crossed careers with Fay-Ann Lyons. His Bouyon connection comes down to three precise moments. 2019: he sings on "Famalay" with Skinny Fabulous and Machel Montano, the track wins Trinidad Road March — and the producer is Dominican Dada (Krishna Lawrence). The Medium feature "The Dominican producer behind the monster Soca hit Famalay" sets the episode as the first international Bouyon → Soca crossover. 2021: "Family" drops with the same trio, credited Soca. April 2025, Killa (Triple Kay) publicly reveals on BRUKOUT TV that the track was actually a Bouyon produced by Dad Lawrence — the origin had been erased from the credits. Between 2022 and 2025, Bunji comes back on the "G.O.A.T. Bouyon Mixes" series with Major Lazer on Mad Decent: titles it a "Bouyon-powered anthem". First time a global EDM label puts the word Bouyon in an official release. Bunji stays a Trinidad Soca artist, not Bouyon. But his voice carried the Dominican genre into three global ecosystems core artists couldn't reach alone.
Verified timeline
-
Bunji Garlin establishes himself as Trinidad's Soca King, multiple Road March wins, ragga soca references.
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"Famalay" with Machel Montano and Skinny Fabulous, produced by Dominican Dada / Krishna Lawrence, wins Trinidad Road March — first documented Bouyon → Soca crossover.
-
"Family" releases with Machel Montano and Skinny Fabulous, credited as Soca, later revealed as Bouyon by Killa (Triple Kay) in 2025.
-
"G.O.A.T. Bouyon Mixes" series with Major Lazer (Mad Decent) — Bouyon mainstream EDM validation.
-
Killa publicly reveals on BRUKOUT TV (April) the Bouyon origin of "Family", forcing the press to requalify the track.
Tracks / markers
2021
Family
with Machel Montano and Skinny Fabulous — revealed as Bouyon by Killa (2025)
2022-2025
G.O.A.T. Bouyon Mixes
with Major Lazer (Mad Decent) — mainstream EDM series
Sourced musical collaborations
2019
Famalay
2022-2025
G.O.A.T. Bouyon Mixes
Related chapters
Sources
-
Wikipedia EN — Bunji Garlin
Base biography, civil identity and catalogue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunji_Garlin -
Soca News — Major Lazer & Bunji Garlin drop Bouyon-powered anthem G.O.A.T.
"G.O.A.T. Bouyon Mixes" release and Bouyon-powered positioning.
https://socanews.com/news/major-lazer-and-bunji-garlin-drop-bouyon-powered-anthem-g-o-a-t/ -
Medium — The Dominican producer behind the monster Soca hit Famalay
Canonical source on Dada / Krishna Lawrence and Famalay's Dominican mechanics.
https://medium.com/jelinthemix/the-dominican-producer-behind-the-monster-soca-hit-famalay-e191a8bb2db4 -
Riddimstream — Major Lazer GOAT Bouyon Mixes feat Bunji Garlin
G.O.A.T. track details with Bunji Garlin.
https://www.riddimstream.com/music/major-lazer-goat-bouyon-mixes-feat-america-foster-bunji-garlin/
Profiles linked by musical collaboration
MA
Electronic collective · mainstream Bouyon passer
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is Diplo, Walshy Fire and Ape Drums — global EDM project on the Mad Decent label since 2008. Between 2022 and 2025, they release the "G.O.A.T. Bouyon Mixes" series with Bunji Garlin: first time a global mainstream EDM label puts the word Bouyon in an official release title. The Caribbean press calls it a "Bouyon-powered anthem". The Dominican genre gets its biggest international EDM validation that day. Major Lazer isn't a Bouyon voice, and the core of the genre stays in Dominica. But the trio distributes it everywhere EDM plays. It's not the origin. It's the amplifier.
SK
Soca artist · Bouyon collaborator
Skinny Fabulous
Skinny Fabulous is Gamal Doyle on the birth certificate — Saint Vincent Soca Monarch, multiple champion, one of the most-exported voices of the anglophone Caribbean. In the Bouyon story, what counts is his bridge role. In 2019, he sings on "Famalay" with Machel Montano and Bunji Garlin: track produced by Dominican Dada (Krishna Lawrence), Trinidad Road March straight away, first international Bouyon → Soca crossover. In March 2025, he comes back with "RAGS" alongside Shelly Alfred (Signal Band) and Trilla-G: the track wins the very first Bouyon Road March edition in Dominica with 108 votes out of 56 entrants. Skinny stays a Soca artist first, but those two summits place him at the heart of cross-genre passages.
MA
Soca artist · Bouyon crossover reference
Machel Montano
Machel Montano starts at age 9 in 1981 on the Trinidad Soca scene. Forty years later, he's become the King of Soca. In the Bouyon story, it's not his legend that matters — it's what his voice does to the genre when it crosses his productions. In 2019, he sings on "Famalay" with Bunji Garlin and Skinny Fabulous: track produced by Dominican Dada (Krishna Lawrence), Trinidad Road March straight away. In 2021, he comes back on "Family", credited Soca at release then revealed Bouyon by Killa (Triple Kay) in 2025. His profile tells the grey zone where Trinidad Soca absorbs Dominican Bouyon without always crediting it.