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Calypso
Lancelot Victor Edward Pinard is born in Cumuto, Trinidad, Caribbean, West Indies. He will find success as calypso singer Sir Lancelot.
Louise Bennett, poet, singer, songwriter and activist, is born in Kingston, Jamaica, Caribbean. Bennett will become a much-loved household name, nicknamed Miss Lou, in Jamaica. Apart from her many achievements in radio and on the stage, she will teach Harry Belafonte how to sing The Banana Boat Song, and will serve as an inspiration for Bob Marley.Cyril Ewart Lionel Grant is born in Guyana, South America. He will find acclaim and success as singer and actor Cy Grant, becoming the first black person to be featured regularly on television in the United Kingdom, mostly due to his frequent appearances on the BBC current affairs show Tonight. He will also become a political activist, working to increase recognition of the achievements and rights of black people. In 1974, he will set up the Drum Arts Centre in London, to provide a springboard and a national centre for black artistic talent.
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Blind Blake records Hookworm Blues, Poker Woman Blues, Doing A Stretch, Fightin' the Jug and Slippery Rag in Richmond, Indiana, USA, for Paramount Records.
Blind Blake records Too Tight Blues No2, Hastings Street and Georgia Bound in Richmond, Indiana, USA, for Paramount Records.
The Hokum Boys record I Was Afraid Of That Part 2 in Richmond, Indiana, USA, for Paramount Records. At this session, the group includes Blind Blake on guitar.
The dirigible airship, Graf Zeppelin, on its way from South America to Germany, Europe, via the Chicago World’s fair, flies over Trinidad. Large crowds turn out to see the spectacle of this gigantic flying machine, and the incident inspires calypsonian Attila The Hun to write and record his 1934 song Graf Zeppelin.
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, traveling by steamship, pays a brief
visit to the Caribbean island of Trinidad, which will be recorded
in the calypso FDR In Trinidad by popular singer Attila the Hun [Raymond Quevedo].
Ken 'Snakehips' Johnson And His West Indian Dance Orchestra record Goodbye and Remember in London, England, UK, Europe.
The Caresser (aka Lord Caresser), with Codallo's Top Hatters Orchestra, records Madame Khan and The More They Try To Do Me Bad for Decca Records in Port Of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies, Caribbean.
Attila The Hun records I Don't Want No Bungalow and Commission's Report for Decca Records in Port Of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies, Caribbean.
The Caresser, with John 'Buddy' Williams And His Rhythm Orchestra, records Joe Louis and Ruby Canera, for Decca Records in Port Of Spain, West Indies, Caribbean.
Lord Invader performs his composition Rum And Coca Cola for the first time in front of a paying audience in the Victory Calypso Tent [an informal music venue set up for the carnival season] in Port of Spain, Trindidad, West Indies. Six months later, visiting US radio comedian Morey Amsterdam will hear the song, take it back to the USA, sanitise its saucy lyric and copyright it in his own name. Rum And Coca Cola will be a huge hit for The Andrews Sisters but Lord Invader will have to go to court to win his royalties.
Calypso stars Wilmoth Houdini, Duke Of Iron, Lord Invader, Sir Launcelot, Lord Kitchener, Lady Trinidad, Queen Calypso Hindu Pass Fire King and Human Thunderbolt play in the AFRO-West Indian Shango Carnival And Dance at The Golden Gate Ballroom, San Francisco, California, USA.
The Empire Windrush arrives at Tilbury docks, London, England, UK, bringing with it almost 500 Jamaicans, along with a handful of Trinidadians, including the Trinidadian calypsonians Lord Kitchener and Lord Beginner. Calypso had arrived in the UK.Cyril Blake's Calypso Serenaders record Iere, for Parlophone Records in Abbey Road Studios, London, UK.
Jester Hairston, playing the role of calypso singer King Moses, provides musical bridges by threading plot situations into the lyrics of his songs during this week's episode of the radio series Bold Venture, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.Harry Belafonte records Kalenda Rock [Mourning Song] in RCA Victor's Manhattan Center, New York City, USA. Pianist on the session is Ray Charles.
Harry Belafonte begins recording his second LP, Belafonte, for RCA Victor at RCA Victor's Manhattan Center and 24th Street Studios, New York City, USA. It will become the first number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, topping the chart for six weeks.Harry Belafonte records The
Banana Boat Song for RCA Records in
Webster
Hall, New York City, USA. Although widely regarded as the song
that launched the calypso craze, it is in fact in the Jamaican mento style.
Harry Belafonte records Jamaica Farewell as the final track during sessions for his RCA Victor album Calypso, at Webster Hall, New York City.
Belafonte by Harry Belafonte reaches No1 in the Billboard US popular albums chart.
In New York City, USA, Harry Belafonte has the first of four recording sessions during which he records tracks for his blues-influenced album Belafonte Sings The Blues.
The movie musical Bop Girl (aka Bop Girl Goes Calypso) is released to cinemas in Venezuela, South America. The movie stars Judy Tytler, but also features appearances by Bobby Troup, The Mary Kaye Trio, The Goofers, Lord Flea and Nino Tempo.Harry Belafonte plays during a week of shows at Araneta Coliseum, The Philippines, Asia.
A court hearing in New York City, USA, about the suspension of satirical Greenwich Village calypso singer Lord Buckley's Cabaret Card is attended by over thirty witnesses and journalists. The hearing is adjourned and rescheduled for two weeks later.
The Beatles, Gerry And The Pacemakers, Kingsize Taylor And The Dominoes, Simon Cardovo And His Royal Carribean Steel Band and Bill Bailey's Calypso Band play in the St Patrick's Night Rock And Cha Cha Ball at The Iron Door Club, Liverpool, England, UK, Europe.
Rory Storm And The Hurricanes, including drummer Ringo Starr, come to the end of a three month residency at the Rock And Calypso Ballroom, Butlins, Skegness, England, UK, Europe.
Bud Dashiell And The Kinsmen play at Glendale College, Glendale, California, USA. The show is recorded by Warner Bros and will be released as the live LP Sing Everybody's Hits - Live Concert Extraordinary.
Cy Grant performs a calypso based on a news story of the day as part of the topical magazine show Tonight on BBC-tv in London, England, UK, Europe.
The album Calypso by Harry Belafonte is awarded a Gold Disc in the USA by the R.I.A.A.. The album was released in 1956.
The album During a run of shows at The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA, Harry Belafonte records a live LP, Belafonte At The Greek Theatre. Backstage, Belafonte is presented with three gold discs for albums which have each achieved over one million sales.
Jazz saxophonist George Braith records Mary Ann, Home Street and other tracks in Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA, for Blue Note Records.
As part of the Forest Hills Music Festival, Harry Belafonte and Miriam Makeba play the first of three nights at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, New York City, USA.As part of the Forest Hills Music Festival, Harry Belafonte and Miriam Makeba play the second of three nights at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, New York City, USA.
Calypso songwriter and performer Lord Burgess begins eight nights of shows at The Cafe Au Go Go, Greenwich Village, New York City, USA.Harry Belafonte comes to the end of a four-week season at The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA.
A front page story in music trade magazine Billboard in the USA reports that "the radio industry is rallying to the support of the equal employment opportunity campaign 'Things Are Changing'."Harry Belafonte, Barbra Streisand, Phil Ochs plays at an Anti-Vietnam Concert in the Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City, USA.
Harry And Lena, and ABC-tv special featuring Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne, is broadcast in the USA.
The Gene Ammons Quartet record Calypso Blues, Nature Boy and other tracks for Prestige Records at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA.
Judy Collins, Richie Havens, Tracy Chapman, The Mighty Sparrow and others play at a rally and concert for Nelson Mandela in Yankee Stadium, New York City, USA.Harry Belafonte plays at The Ravinia Festival Highland Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA.Harry Belafonte, Pete Seeger, Common, Jackson Browne and others take part in a rally-concert at The Beacon Theatre, New York City, USA, in hopes of securing the release of jailed 68-year-old American Indian activist Leonard Peltier, who is considered a political prisoner by Amnesty International.
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