Fay-Ann ‘Break the World’

It was the Jamaica Gleaner that first reported the news on Wednesday, after which it took over the entertainment world by storm.

Speaking with Newsday about the feat Fay-Ann said yesterday: “It’s great to be able to help push soca on a platform that is recognised.

We have lots of work as a music community to do and we need everyone to help get us our own platform.” VP, the label under which the album is being promoted is a dancehall and reggae-based company. Fay-Ann said of the outfit: “VP has been awesome in using their already existing and strong platform to help our music reach and grow, we need to continue.” Fay-Ann boasted all songs were written by her, though produced by different people music wise.

“I’m proud of the finished product and very glad for the love it’s been getting.

My team has, and is continuing to work very hard to get things done and I appreciate it very much. I’m happy a lot of work went into it,” she said.

“The public has been awesome and that’s a good direction.

We need our music on a platform that says soca and I am happy to have people around me willing to help me make that happen.” Fay-Ann said her team has been working with VP to get soca on a platform of its own. “If we do this then every artiste that produces music will have an avenue that’s not limited to Carnival to push their music. Bigger audiences, new territories, bigger markets.” “It’s also a great way to get our soca artistes signed and not just their music licensed. Promotion of artistes as well as their music is what this platform offers,” added Fay-Ann.

The Break the World tracks are: Hold Onto Something, More Then Dem, Girls, Buff featuring Buffy, High Heels, Everybody Joli featuring Bunji Garlin and Joli Rouge Sound, Air Supply, Raze, Block The Road featuring Stonebwoy, Catch Me, Break The World, Drift, HITA (Hands In The Air), Done The Party, Doh Hold Meh and Keep Some.

Asked to express his feelings about his wife’s achievement, Bunji (Ian Alvarez) said: “I feel proud. I have seen the way this woman works and her focus cuts through clouds of mess and doubt, and in a time where women especially strong ones, are under the gun and where the biggest culprits are other women pulling her down the success ladder, it is nothing short of remarkable.” Bunji lauded the achievement: “It’s another historic mark under her belt, as the first female soca artiste to have an album with all songs written by her, debut at number 3 on the Reggae Billboard Chart, on top of being the one of the three female artistes in Trinidad to have Road March titles, and one of the few artistes to have won at least three major competitions in the same Carnival.

“We live in a society where women are measured harshly and with minuscule expectations.

“The moment any of them start surpassing the expected bar they become problems or threats and it can be very distracting if a woman is not strong. I applaud her for the way she stays zonedin once she believes there is an end game and she goes hard at it despite what anyone says or does to sidetrack her.” Bunji then spoke of the tremendous support and congratulations Fay-Ann received from her fans local and abroad, and what is stunning still he said, is the amount of congratulations that came from Jamaica and Jamaicans.

“She also received a nice congratulatory moment from the Monk camp [Machel Montano], SuperBlue reached out and congratulated her in a huge way, also, my whole family is in joy right now for her, as my mother and brothers refer to her as ‘daughter’ and ‘sister’ respectively, completely dropping out the in-law part,” he stated with a laugh.

He ended: “We love it and we love her and we will continue to support her. Again we say congratulations to Fay-Ann Lyons on this achievement.”