Pellau Magazine

Trinidad and Tobago soca artiste, Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez has 

regrettably been placed in quite an unexpected position. The artiste, whose music has taken her across the world, is 

today forced to inform fans in her country of Trinidad and Tobago that she will not be performing at the eventNational Wellness Day 2012, being hosted by the Ministry of Health, carded for Sunday, August 12 in Trinidad. The 

situation stems from the ministry's inability to produce a signed contract, that would have secured Lyons, her 

husband Bunji Garlin and the Asylum Band for the event on Sunday. Lyons, while admitting to having done 

commercials for the event, says the ministry was not authorized by her management to begin her personal 

endorsement aspect of the advertising campaign- this, as nothing was contractually signed off on, prior to the 

commercial placements and subsequent rotation on radio and television stations. 

Lyons-Alvarez says that while she regrets the disappointment that her fans and supporters who may have already 

planned to attend the event, will endure, her professional rationale and that of her team, cannot and will not be 

compromised. She says ample time was allotted for the contractual issues to be ironed out, however there was never 

a contractual affirmation that she and her band would be hired for the event at the rate decided upon and presented 

to the ministry by her management. Lyons-Alvarez, Bunji Garlin and their band- The Asylum Band have since been 

contracted to perform at an event in Grenada this weekend. Lyons-Alvarez says this was only organised by her 

management after it was realized that the Ministry of Health in Trinidad and Tobago, had failed to agree on the 

terms and conditions presented by their team. " There was a lot of back and forth on the situation and they should 

not have gone ahead with the advertisement as there was no contract signed, indicating that we were going to 

perform," she said. Lyons-Alvarez noted that in years prior, her friend and physical trainer who hosted a similar 

event under the banner of the Ministry of Health would ask her to perform, however she made it clear that, that in 

itself was a personal arrangement between them- an arrangement that did not guarantee that she would be there, but 

rather, one that offered the assurance to him that she would make an appearance if she happened to be in the 

country at the time. " It is a different situation this time. It's a situation where the ministry wanted to use my 

endorsement to gather more patrons. It would mean that I would have to guarantee my presence. When we spoke, I 

told them that I could not perform solo for two hours as they had requested, so I suggested that the band be used 

and they agreed. They asked for a quotation, however the back and forth began after the quotation was presented," 

she said. 

The singer says she is hopeful that her fans will understand the situation and regardless of the fact that she will not 

be there, she encourages her countrymen to attend the Health and Wellness event. " While I cannot be there and in 

all reality, I was never contractually bound to be there, I still encourage people to go out and partake in the event. 

It's for a good cause- it's for the betterment of our lives," she said. 

Lyons-Alvarez is now calling on the Ministry of Health to immediately cease from promoting the event via her 

personal endorsements as she sees it as false advertising. With no malice in mind, the artiste says she simply does 

not want anyone to lead the masses to believe that she will be at the event on Sunday.