Lord Pretender
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Lord Pretender
Lord Pretender (8 September 1917 – 22 January 2002) was the stage name of Aldric Farrell, M.O.M., H.B.M. a calypsonian vocalist born on the island of Tobago widely acknowledged to be a "master" of extempo, a lyrically improvised form of calypso music. Starting with an impromptu performance at the age of 12, his career spanned nearly seven decades until cancer of the larynx forced him to retire in the mid-1990s. In 1957, Lord Pretender won the prestigious " Calypso King" competition. Honored by the Trinidad and Tobago government for his services to calypso in 1972, Lord Pretender went on to receive the island's Hummingbird Medal in 1994. Career Farrell's mother went to the United States to look for work and left him, at a young age, with his maternal grandmother in Trinidad. He made his first public performance at the age of twelve in 1929, where he delivered a self-composed calypso about the ghost of a young girl. Early appearances quickly gained Farrell popularity and e ...
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Tobago
Tobago () is an List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, island and Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago, ward within the Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trinidad and about off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. It also lies to the southeast of Grenada. The official bird of Tobago is the cocrico. Etymology Tobago was named ''Belaforme'' by Christopher Columbus "because from a distance it seemed beautiful". The Spanish friar Antonio Vázquez de Espinosa wrote that the Kalina people, Kalina (mainland Caribs) called the island ''Urupina'' because of its resemblance to a big snail, while the Island Caribs, Kalinago (Island Caribs) called it ''Aloubaéra'', supposedly because it resembled the ''alloüebéra'', a giant snake which was supposed to live in a cave on the island of Dominica. The earliest known record of the use of the name ''Tabaco'' to refer to the island is a Spanish royal order is ...
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Bluebird Records
Bluebird Records is a record label best known for its low-cost releases, primarily of kids' music, blues and jazz in the 1930s and 1940s. It was founded in 1932 as a lower-priced RCA Victor subsidiary label of RCA Victor. Bluebird became known for what came to be known as the "Bluebird sound", which influenced rhythm and blues and early rock and roll. It is currently owned by parent company Sony Music Entertainment. History The label was founded in 1932 as a division of RCA Victor by Eli Oberstein, an executive at the company. Bluebird competed with other budget labels at the time. Records were made quickly and cheaply. The "Bluebird sound" came from the session band that was used on many recordings to cut costs. The band included musicians such as Big Bill Broonzy, Roosevelt Sykes, Washboard Sam, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Many blues musicians were signed to RCA Victor and Bluebird by Lester Melrose, a talent scout and producer who had a virtual monopoly on the Chicago blues ...
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Calypsonian
A calypsonian,Definition of CALYPSO
merriam-webster.com originally known as a '''', is a musician from the anglophone Caribbean who sings songs of the calypso genre. Calypsos are musical renditions having their origins in the West African tradition. Originally called "Kaiso" in , these song ...
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Mighty Sparrow
Slinger Francisco ORTT CM OBE (born July 9, 1935), better known as Mighty Sparrow, is a Trinidadian calypso vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. Known as the "Calypso King of the World", he is one of the best-known and most successful calypsonians. He has won Trinidad's Carnival Road March competition eight times, Calypso King/Monarch eight times, and has twice won the Calypso King of Kings title. Career Slinger Francisco was born in the fishing village of Grand Roy, Grenada, West Indies on July 9, 1935. He moved to Trinidad as a one-year-old with his mother, his father having relocated there in 1937.Thompson, p. 184.Harris He grew up in Port of Spain. He began singing as a small child, but his love of calypso was discouraged while at Newtown Boys Catholic School, where he sang in the choir. At the age of 14 he joined a steel band comprising neighbourhood boys, and performed with the band at Carnival. He received his performing name "Little Sparrow" during his early care ...
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Kaiso
Kaiso is a type of music popular in Trinidad and Tobago, and other countries, especially of the Caribbean, such as Grenada, Belize, Barbados, St. Lucia and Dominica, which originated in West Africa particularly among the Efik and Ibibio people of Nigeria, and later evolved into calypso music. Kaiso music has its origins in West Africa (particularly in present-day Nigeria) and in the Kingdom of Kongo and was brought over by the enslaved Africans, who (in the early history of the art form) used it to sing about their masters. The people would also gather in "kaiso" tents where a griot or lead singer would lead them in song. Many early kaisos were sung in French Creole by an individual called a chantwell. Kaiso songs are generally narrative in form and often have a cleverly concealed political subtext. Kaiso performers are known as kaisonians. In Barbados, ''kaiso'' refers to a form of stage-presented calypso, such as at the crop over festival. Terminology The term ''kaiso' ...
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Brother Resistance
Lutalo Masimba (24 October 1954 – 13 July 2021), born Roy Lewis and known professionally as Brother Resistance, was a rhythm poet and musician from Trinidad and Tobago. He died on 13 July 2021, after being diagnosed with cancer. Background and career Born in 1954 as Roy Lewis in East Dry River, Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago, he began writing poetry in primary school, and went on to study at Queen's Royal College. He was influenced by Trinidad's 1970 Black Power movement to become conscious of his African identity, and he would eventually change his name to Lutalo Masimba in 1982, in order to better reflect his heritage. He assumed the soubriquet "Brother Resistance" when he began performing and chanting his poetry at school. He went on to further studies at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, graduating with a B.Sc. degree in Social Sciences with History in 1980. Brother Resistance became, together with Brother Shortman, the lead singer of the Network Riddim ...
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Rapso
Rapso is a form of Trinidadian music that grew out of the social unrest of the 1970s. Black Power and unions grew in the 1970s, and rapso grew along with them. The first recording was ''Blow Away'' by Lancelot Layne in 1970. Six years later, Cheryl Byron (founder of the New York City based Something Positive Dance Company) was scorned when she sang rapso at a calypso tent; she is now called the "Mother of Rapso". It has been described as "''de power of de word in the riddim of de word''". Though often described as a fusion of native soca and calypso with American hip hop, rapso is uniquely Trinidadian. History Rapso music is itself an evolution of the chantwell or griot tradition of African music in the diaspora. It is called "the poetry of Calypso" and "the Power of the Word in the rhythm of the Word". Rapso is the poetic "rap" form of Trinbagonian music—the next evolutionary step of Calypso and Soca music. It also has origins in the oral tradition elements of the p ...
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Skinny Tie
A necktie, or simply a tie, is a piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck, resting under the Collar_(clothing), shirt collar and knotted at the throat, and often draped down the chest. Variants include the ascot tie, ascot, bow tie, bow, bolo tie, bolo, zipper tie, Cravat (early), cravat, and knit tie, knit. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the Cravat (early), cravat. Neckties are generally unsized but may be available in a longer size. In some cultures, men and boys wear neckties as part of office attire or formal wear. Women wear them less often. Neckties can also be part of a uniform. Neckties are traditionally worn with the top shirt button fastened, and the tie knot resting between the collar points. History Origins The necktie that spread from Europe traces back to Croats (military unit), Croatian mercenaries serving in France during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). These mercenaries from the Military Frontier, wearing ...
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Trinbago Unified Calypsonians' Organisation
The Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation (TUCO) is a professional body representing the interests of calypsonians in Trinidad and Tobago and working to promote calypso music nationally and internationally. TUCO was established in 1993 and incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1998. TUCO serves as the governing body for calypso in Trinidad and Tobago. History The Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation was formed in 1993 by the merger of the Calypsonians' Association with the Trinbago Calypsonian Organisation. It was incorporated by Act No. 33 of 1998 of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. In 1998 the government gave TUCO control of the national calypso contests, which had previously been managed by the National Carnival Committee, a state-controlled body. TUCO was given the responsibility of selecting and training judges for the competition and introduced a Calypso Queen, and later a Calypso King competition in addition to the Calypso Monarch competition. With ...
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Lord Kitchener (calypsonian)
Aldwyn Roberts HBM DA (18 April 1922 – 11 February 2000), better known by the stage name Lord Kitchener (or "Kitch"), was a Trinidadian calypsonian. He has been described as "the grand master of calypso" and "the greatest calypsonian of the post-war age".Thompson, Dave (2002), ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 149–154Talevski, Nick (2010) ''Knocking on Heaven's Door: Rock Obituaries'', Omnibus Press, , p. 343. Early life Roberts was born in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago, the son of a blacksmith, Stephen, and housewife, Albertha. He was educated at the Arima Boys Government School until he was 14, when his father died, leaving him orphaned. His father had encouraged him to sing and taught him to play the guitar, and he became a full-time musician, his first job playing guitar for Water Scheme labourers while they laid pipes in the San Fernando Valley.Pareles, Jon (14 February2000)"Lord Kitchener, 77, Calypso Songwriter Who Mixed Party Tunes With Deeper Messag ...
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Santa Rosa Park
Santa Rosa Park is a thoroughbred race track at Arima, Trinidad and Tobago. It is currently the country's only race track and hosts all of Trinidad's major races, including The Royal Oak Derby, Guineas, President's Cup and Midsummer Classic. The racetrack, operated by Arima Race Club and governed by the Trinidad and Tobago Betting Levy Board and Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority is the region's premier home of horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p .... The track hosts weekly live horse racing (usually on a Saturday) and most major public holidays. Yearly, an average of forty five (45) race days are held. Arima Race Club also operates multiple OTB (Off track betting) shops. The OTB shops are open six days a week offering simulcast horse racing of i ...
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Alma Jordan Library
The Alma Jordan Library at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Trinidad and Tobago, was named after UWI librarian Dr. Alma Jordan in 2012. The four-storied library is located on the St. Augustine Campus of the UWI. It is the largest of the libraries in the St Augustine Campus libraries network, with approximately 600,000 monographs, 31,000 e-books, 4,000 serial titles, 57,000 e-journal subscriptions and access to over 200 databases. The Alma Jordan Library houses the Eric Williams Memorial Collection, which has been named to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. The library houses the minute books of the London Society of West India Planters and Merchants, a major anti-abolitionist organisation of the British West Indian plantocracy.Ryden D. (2015) The Society of West India Planters and Merchants in the Age of Emancipation, c.1816-35Economic History Society Annual Conference, University of Wolverhampton accessed 5 January 2016 Other libraries in the St Augustine Campu ...
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