Terry Gajraj | |
|---|---|
| Born | Terry Vivekanand Gajraj , Guyanese |
| Nationality | Guyanese |
| Other names | Guyana Baboo Terry G |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Guyana |
| Genres | Chutney and Chutney-soca |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | Mohabir Records |
| Website | terrygajraj |
Terry Vivekanand Gajraj is a Guyanese chutney and chutney-soca artist.
Born in the village of Fyrish, near the Corentyne River, in Guyana, he is the eldest of three children and son of a school teacher. Gajraj is a Hindu of Indian descent. Gajraj began performing at the age of 5 with the Dil Bahar Orchestra.[1][2][3] He learned to play the harmonium and drums, and went on to work with the Star Rhythm Combo, the Original Pioneers, and the Melody Makers, before working as a teacher in his 20s at a high school in Georgetown.[1]
In the late 1980s, inspired by Sundar Popo and the increasing popularity of chutney, he decided to pursue a career in music, and he relocated to New York.[1][4] After initially working as part of local bands, he launched a solo career in 1990, releasing the album Soca Lambada, which brought him immediate success.[1] He had a local hit in 1992 with "Tun Tun Dance", and followed it with his third album, Guyana Baboo & Pack Up: New York, split with David Ramoutar, which was also a success, 'Guyana Baboo' being synonymous with Gajraj ever since.[1][2][3]
His popularity spread to Trinidad and Tobago, where he performed at the Trinidad Spektakula festival and appeared on national television.[1] In 1995 he became the first Guyanese artist to perform at the T&T carnival.[1] He's also the first singer from the Caribbean to perform at India's Bollywood Music Awards.[5]
Between 1990 and 2000 he release a total of 14 albums.[1]
In 2009 he collaborated with Dheeraj Gayaram on the stage show West Indian Dreams.[6]
In 2015 he was nominated in the 'Male Soca Chutney Artiste of the Year' category at the International Soca & Chutney Awards.[7]