2 months ago
22
When Bunji Garlin steps onto a stage or the streets for carnival, you can feel the power shift. The Viking of Soca, born Ian Antonio Alvarez, is no stranger to Jamaica or its carnival scene. And this year, fresh off a fiery performance at RYTZ, Garlin reminded everyone why his presence continues to command attention, respect, and vibes.
“Jamaica is home to me as well, you know?” he told The Sunday Gleaner with a smile, following his performance. “Over the years, Jamaica has been home to a lot of Trinidadians, literally and figuratively.”
This deep-rooted connection has kept Garlin anchored to Carnival in Jamaica since 1999.
“I’ve been here every year since ‘99. Whether I’m here performing or here just to be a part of carnival, I’ve been here every year since 1999,” he shared. That loyalty has made him not just a popular soca superstar on The Rock, but a beloved carnival figure on this side of the Caribbean.
This year, Garlin is riding high off the massive success of Carry It, one of the biggest soca anthems of the season. But for him, the song represents something even deeper.
“I’m grateful, you know. As much as we put in the work and all the essence, if the people miss it, they miss it. Thankfully, they didn’t miss this one. They carried it – pun intended!” he laughed.
“That song was designed to be an indigenous song. I’ve spent so many years doing songs that have crossed over into so many different markets, and I think it was important to do something that just means something for home.”
He shared plans to host a pop-up fête at Janga’s on Saturday, teasing that “it’s a real fête! Short pants and sneakers kinda thing. Wild-out business, you know?”
Although Garlin won’t be performing on the road during Carnival in Jamaica this year, don’t expect him to stay behind the scenes.
“I’m not working on the road, but it’s gonna be a fun time. I will, however, be on the road enjoying carnival with the people every year as usual. This whole thing of carnival, and the music and all, it comes from the ground, it comes from the road, and it comes from the movement of the people on the road. That’s where the richest and rawest and strongest energy comes from. That’s where the real energy is. The music, the people, the soul of carnival, it is important to be part of that.”
For Garlin, Carnival in Jamaica is a statement.
“I think it’s good for the region. We must share in each other’s culture and values.”
He points out that the growth of Carnival in Jamaica pushes back against long-held stereotypes and false divides.
“This whole ‘Jamaica don’t like this, or we don’t like them’ narrative – it’s outdated. Carnival here negates that and shows love, unity, and respect.”
In Garlin’s words, it’s a bridge.
“When the rest of the world looks at the Caribbean, they see us [as] the same. So we might as well act accordingly and support each other.”
As for his efforts to spread carnival even further, Garlin said there’s more to come as he still has plans to have a carnival band of his own in the future.
“We always talk about eventually doing that again, you know,” said Garlin, when asked about One World Rebellion, the carnival band launched in Jamaica in 2018, but was not part of the 2019 Carnival in Jamaica celebration.
“Whether we partner again... or however, we’re not sure how we wanna do it, but we know we wanna do it again. Because we wanna share 100 per cent in the good energy in Jamaica here. We don’t have a timeline set as yet, but we are definitely looking into it.”
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