"FDR in Trinidad" (also known as "Roosevelt in Trinidad") is a calypso song written by Fritz McLean and popularized by Atilla the Hun (Raymond Quevedo) to commemorate U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1936 trip to Trinidad. 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. Roosevelt had become a calypso fan in 1934 following the band's performances in New York City during 1934.
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, and performed in local skits.
References
- Jim Bessman (4 April 1998). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 27–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- "Calypso Boom". Time. 1938-08-29. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
- ^ Ray Allen, Lois Wilcken (2001). Island Sounds in the Global City. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-07042-6.
- Robert Springer (2006). Nobody knows where the blues come from: lyrics and history. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-57806-797-8.
- Pareles, Jon (1991-12-16). "Review/Pop; Parlor Songs for Today By a Gentle Practitioner". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
- Philip Hayward (1999). Widening the horizon. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-1-86462-047-4.
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