Roaring Lion
Roaring Lion (22 February 190811 July 1999) was a Trinidadian calypsonian (calypso singer/composer). His 65-year career began in the early 1930s and he is best known for his compositions "Ugly Woman" (1933), " Mary Ann" and "Netty, Netty", whi ...
( Rafael de Leon) he brought calypso to the United States for the first time in 1934. One of his popular calypsos was " FDR in Trinidad", commemorating U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1936 trip to Trinidad.
Atilla competed in the first Calypso King contest in 1939, and won the title in both 1946 and 1947.Thompson, p. 5, 59
Known as a defender of the poor, Atilla was able to transition to a political career. When several of his records were
censored
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
he composed "The Banning of Records", which was itself banned.
Atilla was the first calypsonian to hold elected public office; he was elected to the Port of SpainCity Council in 1946 and was elected to the
Legislative Council of Trinidad and Tobago
The Legislative Council of Trinidad and Tobago served as an advisory commission to the governor in British-ruled Trinidad and Tobago, between 1831 and independence in 1962. The Legislative Council consisted of a mixture of appointed and elected ...
in 1950 representing the St. George County East. (See: ''
Elections in Trinidad and Tobago
Elections in Trinidad and Tobago gives information on election and election results in Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidad and Tobago (located in the Caribbean) elects on national level a House of Representatives (the Lower House of its legislature). T ...
''). He also authored ''Atilla's Kaiso: A Short History of Trinidad Calypso'' with
John La Rose
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
, published posthumously in 1983.
Notes
References
* Hill, Donald R. 1993. ''Calypso: Early Carnival Music in Trinidad''. University of Florida. (Includes a CD of early calypso music.)
* Quevedo, Raymond (Atilla the Hun). 1983. ''Atilla's Kaiso: a short history of Trinidad calypso''. University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad. (Includes the words to many old calypsos as well as musical scores for some of Atilla's calypsos.)
* Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books,
See also
*
List of calypsos with sociopolitical influences This is a list of Calypso music, calypsos categorised by main topics.
"Calypso music has been used by Calypsonians to provide sociopolitical commentary. Prior to the independence of Trinidad and Tobago, calypsonians would use their music to expres ...