FDR in Trinidad

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"FDR in Trinidad" (also known as "Roosevelt in Trinidad") is a calypso song written by Fritz McLean [1] and popularized by Atilla the Hun (Raymond Quevedo) to commemorate U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1936 trip to Trinidad. [2] As part of Atilla and his band's repertoire in New York City during the 1930s and 1940s, it brought increased popularity to the genre. [3] Roosevelt had become a calypso fan in 1934 following the band's performances in New York City during 1934. [4]

The song was covered by Ry Cooder in his 1971 album Into the Purple Valley , by Van Dyke Parks in his 1972 album Discover America , [5] [6] and performed in local skits. [3]

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References

  1. Jim Bessman (4 April 1998). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 27–. ISSN   0006-2510.
  2. "Calypso Boom". Time . 1938-08-29. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  3. 1 2 Ray Allen, Lois Wilcken (2001). Island Sounds in the Global City. University of Illinois Press. ISBN   978-0-252-07042-6.
  4. Robert Springer (2006). Nobody knows where the blues come from: lyrics and history. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN   978-1-57806-797-8.
  5. Pareles, Jon (1991-12-16). "Review/Pop; Parlor Songs for Today By a Gentle Practitioner". The New York Times . Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  6. Philip Hayward (1999). Widening the horizon. Indiana University Press. ISBN   978-1-86462-047-4.