Clifton Ryan (30 January 1928 – 1 January 2022), better known as the Mighty Bomber, was a Grenadian-born

calypsonian A calypsonian,Definition of CALYPSO
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

. The name "The Mighty Bomber" was also used in the 1940s by Trinidadian Calypsonian Kenny Cooper.

Early life

Clifton Ryan was born in

St. George's, Grenada St. George's (Grenadian Creole French: ''Sen Jòj'') is the capital of Grenada. The town is surrounded by a hillside of an old volcano crater and is located on a horseshoe-shaped harbour. St. George's is a popular Caribbean tourist destinatio ...

, son of Fitzroy Ryan, an Anglican sexton originally from

Belmont, Trinidad and Tobago Belmont, in north-east Port of Spain, in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is located at the foot of the Laventille Hills; it was the city's first suburb. In the 1840s–'50s, parts of the area were settled by Africans rescued by the Royal Nav ...

, and Agatha Joseph, who was Grenadian. He migrated to Trinidad and Tobago in 1956. His brother, Samuel, also sang calypso, under the sobriquet King Solomon.

Career

Bomber began singing calypso in Grenada, and won a national competition there in 1940 according to the National Action Cultural Committee. After migrating to Trinidad and Tobago in 1956, he began performing and had his first hit, "Gloria", in 1958. A version of "Gloria" was later recorded by

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

. In 1960 he was invited by The

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 calyp ...

(Slinger Francisco) to join the Young Brigade

calypso tent Calypso tents are venues in which calypsonians perform during the Carnival season. They usually are cinema halls, community centers, or other indoor buildings which have seating and stage arrangements to host the entertainers, guests and patrons; ...

. He later managed selected line-ups of performers and managed shows for the Original Young Brigade and performed for Sparrow's Young Brigade and Kitchener's Revue. He retired from singing calypsos in 2007. Bomber was a protégé of The

Mighty Spoiler Theophilus Philip (23 March 1926 – 24 December 1960), better known as Mighty Spoiler, was a Trinidadian calypsonian. Spoiler's career began in 1946 (see 1946 in music) at the House of Lords Tent, and he soon became one of the most popular ...

and, like Spoiler, he was known for his use of humour in his compositions. In 1964 Bomber won the

Calypso Monarch The Calypso Monarch (originally Calypso King) contest is one of the two major annual calypso competitions held in Trinidad as part of the annual carnival celebrations. History While Trinidad's carnival has its origins in the 18th century, a singi ...

competition, defeating Sparrow. He placed fourth in the Independence calypso competition in 1962 which was won by Lord Brynner (Kade Simon). Despite having Trinidad and Tobago citizenship through his father, Bomber believed that he would have done better had he been born in the country, saying in a 2012 interview "The people wanted Bomber. I was the People's Choice. It was felt I was not a citizen of T&T." Bomber represented Trinidad and Tobago in the Commonwealth Festival of Arts in Britain in 1963 and met Harry Belafonte after performing in the United States.

Personal life and death

Bomber died on 1 January 2022, at the age of 93. At the time of his death, Bomber was the oldest living calypsonian, according to Mark John (calypsonian Composer), North Zone chairman of the

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 i ...

(TUCO), and one of only two survivors (along with Sparrow) of the Independence calypso competition.

Achievements and honours

Bomber was one of the few calypsonians who beat Sparrow in competition and was described by Mark John as "one of the greatest composers in the artform". Calypsonian and ethnomusicologist

Hollis Liverpool Hollis Urban Lester Liverpool, better known as Chalkdust (or Chalkie) (born 1940 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad), is a leading calypsonian from Trinidad and Tobago. He has been singing calypso since 1967 and has recorded more than 300 calypsos. Aw ...

(Chalkdust) spoke of the role Bomber played in helping young calypsonians to learn the "rudiments of measurement, phrasing, melody and pitch... One of Bomber's greatest contributions to calypso is correcting calypsonians". He was ranked among the top 50 calypsonians of the twentieth century by TUCO. In 1976 he was granted a plot of land in Picton Hill,

Laventille Laventille is a ward of Trinidad and Tobago. Etymology The name ''Laventille'' hearkens back to colonial times, especially when the French dominated the cultural traditions of the island. One etymological derivation of the name is because the no ...

, by the government of Prime Minister

Eric Williams Eric Eustace Williams (25 September 1911 – 29 March 1981) was a Trinidad and Tobago politician who is regarded by some as the "Father of the Nation", having led the then British Trinidad and Tobago, British Colony of Trinidad and Tobago to m ...

in recognition of his contribution to calypso.

Selected Discography

* ''

Calypso Jamboree Calypso refers to: * Calypso (mythology), a nymph who, famously in Homer's ''Odyssey'', kept Odysseus with her on her island of Ogygia for seven years. * Calypso (nymphs), other nymphs called Calypso. Calypso may also refer to: Books * "C ...

'' (1966)

References

External Links

* *
The Legacy of the Mighty Bomber
– TriniView.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Bomber, Mighty