Terry Gajraj

The story so far.

Written and edited by Smokiller

Terry Gajraj is a Guyanese chutney and chutney soca artist from the village of Fyrish, near the Corentyne River. He started performing at five with the Dil Bahar Orchestra, learned harmonium and drums, and played with groups including the Star Rhythm Combo and the Melody Makers before teaching high school in Georgetown. Inspired by Sundar Popo, he moved to New York in the late 1980s and began his solo career in 1990 with the album Soca Lambada. Tun Tun Dance was a hit in 1992, and his third album, shared with David Ramoutar, carried Guyana Baboo, the song his name has been tied to ever since. In 1995 no Guyanese act had yet played the Trinidad and Tobago carnival until he did, and he released 14 albums between 1990 and 2000. Soca News reported that he entered the 2025 Chutney Soca Monarch final as a wildcard.