Rikki Jai

The story so far.

Written and edited by Smokiller

Rikki Jai, born Samraj Jaimungal, is an Indo-Trinidadian singer whose career runs from soca into chutney soca. His first single, Sumintra, came out in 1988 and told the story of a Debe woman who preferred soca to the songs of Lata Mangeshkar. Pumping, Bolo and Show Me Yuh Motion followed, and Wine on a Bumsee in 1993 marked his move into the chutney soca arena. Mor Tor, recorded with Machel Montano, is counted as his biggest hit in the style, with Barman, Scorpion Sting Me and Leh We Fete close behind. He took his sixth Chutney Soca Monarch crown in 2011 with White Oak and Water, and Soca News called him a nine-time monarch ahead of the 2025 final at Skinner Park, where he faced Montano. He shared the 2001 Young King title with Bunji Garlin, received the Hummingbird Medal Gold in 2012 and was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Trinidad and Tobago in 2023.