Biography
Terri Lyons was born September 23, 1982, in Trinidad and Tobago, the daughter of Austin "Superblue" Lyons (10-time Road March champion, 7-time Soca Monarch) and singer Dionne Phillips, who performed background vocals with Brother Resistance's The Love Band. Terri grew up with a Baptist church behind her house, began performing at age 7, started competing in calypso in primary school, and branched into soca at 19. Her maternal grandfather, Allan Fortune (Brother Mudada), was also a calypsonian — making her the third generation of a remarkable family dynasty. She has toured internationally across North America, the UK, and the Caribbean since 2003, and in 2012 won Best Local Actress at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival for the short film No Soca No Life.
Her career accelerated significantly in 2017 when "I Am Lion" — written by Nadia Batson — became her signature anthem and propelled her to the International Soca Monarch final and fourth place in the Calypso Monarch competition. She also became a frontline vocalist with SASS the Band, Batson's all-female soca collective. In 2020 she won the Trinidad and Tobago National Calypso Monarch title with "Obeah" and "Megan My Dear," becoming only the fifth woman ever to claim that crown. She extended her reach regionally by winning the Queen of Queens competition in Montserrat four consecutive years (2022–2025), the first artist in the competition's history to do so. In 2025 she starred in the feature film Queen of Soca, and in 2026 she won the National Calypso Monarch again with "Blessings" — earning a standing ovation, 263 points, and the $1 million prize — becoming only the second woman ever to win the title twice.
Moving fluidly between the social-commentary tradition of kaiso calypso and contemporary soca (incorporating Afrobeats textures on tracks like 2025's "Forward"), Terri has built a body of work that stands on its own terms, independent of her famous surname. A deliberate emphasis on self-determination runs through her interviews and lyrics alike, and she has extended her public presence into wellness entrepreneurship with her "I Am Lion" smoothie line, a portion of whose proceeds supports Youth Business Trinidad and Tobago. Regarded as one of the foremost female voices in the calypso/soca space, she is a two-time National Calypso Monarch, four-time Queen of Queens, and a Trinidad Film Festival acting laureate.
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Fun Facts
- Terri is the third generation of calypso royalty in the Lyons family: her grandfather Allan Fortune (Brother Mudada) was a calypsonian, her father Superblue has 10 Road March titles, her sister Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez is a three-time Road March champion and International Soca Monarch, and Terri herself is now a two-time National Calypso Monarch.
- Inspired by her 2017 anthem 'I Am Lion,' Terri launched a wellness smoothie brand of the same name, donating a portion of proceeds to Youth Business Trinidad and Tobago. The brand's lion's mane imagery references both her surname and the naturally thick hair she shares with her son.
- She won a Best Local Actress award at the 2012 Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival for the short film No Soca No Life — a story about a girl from an impoverished community fighting religious opposition to sing soca — thematically mirroring her own life, and mirrored again in the 2025 feature film Queen of Soca in which she starred.
- She is the first artist in the history of the Queen of Queens regional female calypso competition (held in Montserrat) to win four consecutive titles (2022–2025), surpassing all previous male and female record holders.
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Superblue - Father and primary musical inspiration; 10-time Road March champion and 7-time Soca Monarch. Terri has cited him as her biggest influence and musical foundation. [Lifelong]
- Cro Cro - Calypsonian Weston Rawlins, cited by Terri as one of her all-time favorite calypsonians and a formative influence on her approach to the art form. [Formative years]
- Shadow - Winston Bailey, admired by Terri for carving a completely unique signature style rather than following trends — a philosophy she applies to her own career. [Formative years]
Key Collaborators
- Nadia Batson - Wrote Terri's breakthrough 2017 anthem 'I Am Lion'; also founded SASS the Band, the all-female soca group of which Terri is a frontline vocalist. [2017–present]
- Beenie Man - Collaborated with Terri on the track 'Can't Stop Moving'. [Career]
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
Terri Lyons has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.