At the recent Wi Fete event in Kingston, Jamaica, soca artiste Bunji Garlin had an emotional moment on stage where he informed the crowd that the evening was his vindication.

Since his debut in 1999, Trinidadian soca artiste Ian Alvarez, better known by his stage name Bunji Garlin, Fireman or more recently as the Soca Viking, has been a major name in the soca music industry and the face of ragga soca music.

Although easily one of the best artistes the genre has produced, the Viking has not been without his struggles throughout his career. While on stage at Wi Fete, Garlin recounted his negative experience at his last performance in Jamaica and how he was booed off the stage.

Listen to Garlin recount the story below:

The soca artiste has captured four International Soca Monarch titles but before Famalay 2019 in collaboration with Skinny Fabulous and Machel Montano, and Hard Fete as a solo artiste in 2023, had zero Road March wins.

The singer referenced the unlikeliness of him capturing a Road March victory in his 2004 Soca Monarch winning-song Warrior Cry.

It said: “I will never win a Road March and I know that for a fact. My music is deep with vocals, like them Road March from way back. Between the Road March and lyrics – lyrics I will always choose.”

In an interview with Our Today, Bunji Garlin gave shared his thoughts. “Well boy, I might have to go and rewrite it (Warrior Cry),” said the artiste jokingly. “I didn’t see it coming but it came and it felt good, if that’s how the most high has it then that’s how he has it- I must say I’ve enjoyed tonight and I must say Jamaicans are a people that walk with their own passion and people here love music.”

Earlier this year, both the artiste, philanthropist and family man and his wife, fellow soca artiste, philanthropist, and fellow Road March winner Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez were inducted into the Young, Gifted & Black (YGB) Entrepreneurial Awards Hall of Fame in New York City for their contributions to music and community development.