Rikki Jai (born Samraj Jaimungal; ) is an

Indo-Trinidadian Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians or Indian-Trinidadians and Tobagonians, are people of Indian origin who are nationals of Trinidad and Tobago whose ancestors came from India and the wider subcontinent beginning in 1845. Indo-Trinidadians and ...

chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce. ...

and

chutney-soca In Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname, chutney soca music is a crossover style of music incorporating soca and calypso elements and English, Hindustani, and Hinglish lyrics, chutney music, with Western instruments such as the guitar ...

musician.

Career

Jai's 1988 debut single ''Sumintra'' told the tale of an

woman from

Debe Debe (or Débé) is a town in south Trinidad located in the region of Penal–Debe. Debe has grown from a small settlement into a key transit point which as has merged to some extent with Penal. A denomination high school was established by the ...

who informed her

boyfriend A boyfriend is a male friend or acquaintance, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved. A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suitor and sweetheart. The analogous female te ...

of her preference for

soca Soca or SOCA may refer to: Places * Soča, a river in Slovenia and Italy * Soča, Bovec, Slovenia * Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport, by ICAO code * Soca, a village in Banloc Commune, Timiș County, Romania * SoCa, Southern California Other u ...

over the music of Indian artist

Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her cont ...

. Jai returned the following year with ''Pumping'', then ''Bolo'' and ''Show Me Yuh Motion''. His 1993 song ''Wine on a Bumsee'' signalled Jai's exit from the soca world, opting for the chutney soca arena, in which he continues to perform. Jai released ''Chutney Vibrations'', a compilation with soca chutney rhythms and his re-reading of the Juma. His most commercially successful release is ''Mor Tor'' featuring fellow Trinidadian soca star

Machel Montano Machel Jesus Montano (born 24 November 1974)Thompson, Dave (2002), ''Reggae & Soca Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 300–301. is a Trinidadian soca singer, actor, record producer and songwriter. Known for his high energy, fast-paced, and often unp ...

. In 2007 he released songs such as ''Aj Bhi Jeen'' and ''Bodi ke Dal'', followed by ''Barman''. Jai has won Chutney Soca Monarch a record-breaking six times. In 2011, he won his 6th title with the song ''White Oak and Water''. Jai was also crowned for the 7th time when he teamed up with Ravi B. In 2001, he tied for first place (with

Bunji Garlin Ian Antonio Alvarez (born July 14, 1978), better known by his stage name Bunji Garlin, is a Trinidadian ragga soca artist. He is also affectionately known as the Viking of Soca. His spouse is Fay-Ann Lyons. Early life Bunji was born on July 1 ...

) for the "Young King" title and placed second in 2010's "Chutney Soca Monarch". He was crowned champion at the 2011 Chutney Soca Monarch, and walked away with TT$2 million in prize money.

References

20th-century Trinidad and Tobago male singers Chutney musicians Trinidad and Tobago people of Indian descent Living people Year of birth missing (living people) People from San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago 21st-century Trinidad and Tobago male singers {{caribbean-singer-stub