The Terry Gajraj story

Heart pounding, butterflies out of control, Terry Gajraj paced back and forth nervously backstage at the Brightstar Productions “Indo-Caribbean Show” in Toronto, Canada. He was about to share the stage for the very first time with many of his idols to sing in front of 8,000 hungry fans. This moment forever changed his life.

“When I stepped on that stage, I felt like I was struck by lightning,” recalls the artist who was representing Guyana at the All Star Concert. “I had that aha moment of OMG! This is what I want to do for the rest of my life!” Gajraj never stopped.

He has dominated the Guyanese music scene for the past 25 years. He released his debut album “Soca Lambada” in 1990 but it was “Guyana Baboo” in 1994 that established him as a household name and propelled him to International acclaim. As a son of the soil, Terry is the most toured artiste to emerge out of Guyana and whose success in promoting Guyanese music and culture around the world remains unmatched.

Here are some brief highlights of an eventful career:

1- Guyana’s most recorded artiste with more than 30 albums and hundreds of songs.

2- TerryG is the only singer from Guyana who has been performing globally every single week, every single month, every single year for over 20 years, non-stop (since his monster hit “Guyana Baboo” in 1994). Guyana’s most consistent artiste.

3- Performed off Broadway in “West Indian Dreams” in Manhattan, NY.

4- Guyana’s most toured singer (performs in all the major cities and countries including the Caribbean, Suriname, Holland, India, UK & Spain). One of his most prestigious shows was at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Gajraj consistently adds a new country & new city every year to his touring circuit.

5- He is the first singer from the Caribbean to perform at the BOLLYWOOD Music Awards, the Indian equivalent of the Grammys.

6- TerryG has represented Guyana in all the major carnivals in the world including Labor Day (NY), Caribana (Canada), Miami Carnival, Virgin Islands (Tortola), Notting Hill (London) and Trinidad (Spektakula Tent).

7- He created the “Screw the lightbulb” Indian Dance and introduced the “Call and Response” style to Guyanese Chutney music thereby making it more interactive, exciting and popular. He has thrilled the worldwide audience with his brand of Guyanese music & culture and spread the sounds of Guyana beyond our borders.

8-TerryG is the first Guyanese artiste to have his own professional website www.TerryGajraj.com. When promoters want a Guyanese entertainer, the firstst name that pops up is Terry “Guyana Baboo” Gajraj.

9- Unlike many artistes who crossover and hide their Guyanese roots, Gajraj proudly waves his Guyanese flag at all his performances and showcases his trademark one finger pose representing 1 People, 1 Nation, 1 Destiny.

10- Gajraj does a weekly TV show on Time Warner ch 96 in NYC every Saturday at 7 pm.

11- Collaborates with young Guyanese artistes to give them a taste of stardom and promote the future of Guyanese music.

12- Since the inception of his singing career. TerryG has consistently donated at least one free performance every month for various charitable groups.

He has further embraced his role model status as a celebrity spokesman for the Save Abee Charitable Foundation for Kids in Guyana. For the past five years, Terry and the Save Abee Team has organized many fundraisers in Canada & USA with proceeds being used to educate kids in computer technology. It has evolved with success, to not only represent his ideals to give back to those in need, but most importantly to showcase the goodwill and strong community spirit of the Guyanese people that Gajraj represents as their musical ambassador.

Gajraj grew up in Fyrish Village, Guyana. As a poor country boy, he had no TV in his home, so his only entertainment was learning to play every single musical instrument he could get his hands on.

Having no TV was a blessing in disguise. Dance-inspiring Soca Chutney rhythms and a knack for Guyanese lyrics have made the charismatic Gajraj one of Guyana’s most successful vocalists.

That poor country boy is now an international star who has made an indelible mark on the musical history of Guyana.

“Yuh Can Tek Me Outta Guyana, But You Kyan Tek Guyana Outta Me” TerryG.