Roaring Lion
Roaring Lion | |
---|---|
British Trinidad and Tobago | |
Died | 11 July 1999 Mt. Lambert, Trinidad and Tobago | (aged 91)
Genres | Calypso |
Years active | 1930s–1999 |
Roaring Lion (22 February 1908 – 11 July 1999)[2] 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", which are still performed today. The song "If You Wanna Be Happy", which hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on 18 May 1963, as well as the R&B singles chart,[3] is based on Roaring Lion's "Ugly Woman".
Early life
Lion was born Rafael de Leon in Aroquita, in the Caura Hills of northern Trinidad, to a mother named Basalicion de Leon and a father named Arias Cairi Llama. An illegitimate child, Lion spent some of his earliest years in two orphanages, before being taken in, following his mother's illness, by an elderly woman named Miss Charles who lived on Coffee Street in the southwestern city of
Although there has long been confusion about his full name, he himself gave it as Rafael Arias Cairi Llama de Leon.b He later met his biological father, who told him that his name, Cairi, was another name for Trinidad,c and that "Llama" is a sort of goat or deer from South America. In a 1990 interview, Roaring Lion stated that "from fear that I might be styled a thief, I only use Rafael Deleon."de[4][unreliable source?]
Career as a Calypsonian
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2022) |
From a young age, Roaring Lion (de Leon's adopted stage name) became known for his skill in creating
On that trip Lion entertained the President of the United States-
Further, the lyrics of many of his "war calypsoes" (essentially insult songs) presage those of similar hip-hop battle rap songs by over 50 years. An extract from his lyrics to "War" (recorded during the 1930s by Roaring Lion with Executor, Caresser, and Attila and directed against their fellow calypsonian Wilmoth Houdini) is a particularly good example of such lyrics:
- The earth is a trembling and a tumbling
- And the heavens are falling and all
- Because the lion is roaring.
- My tongue is like the blast of a gunman...
- Destruction, desolation and damnation –
- All these I'll inflict on insubordination,
- For the Lion in his power is like the rock of Gibraltar.
Later life
Roaring Lion died on 11 July 1999, at the age of 91, in Mt. Lambert, Trinidad. Reports claim that he had ten children. His sons include Ibn Llama de Leon, Ishmael de Leon, Akenathon de Leon, the late Rafael Charles de Leon (who lived in Brooklyn, New York), Mohondas deLeon (who lives in Norway), Karelius de Leon (who lives in Norway), Chris deLeon (who lives in France/USA ), and Krishna de Leon (who lives in Paris). His daughters are Victoria Peters (who lives in Trinidad and Tobago), and the late Pamela de Leon-Lewis (who lived in Brooklyn, New York, with her three children: Abigail J. Bishop, Darryl R. Bishop, and youngest daughter Keiela J. Lewis).[7] He was formerly married to the late Marie Louise de Leon, of Norway and she was the mother of four of his children.
In 2002 Akenathon announced plans to turn his father's Mt. Lambert property into a Roaring Lion Museum.[8][self-published source?]
Notes
- ^a The oft-printed statement that Roaring Lion was born "Hubert Raphael Charles" is thus incorrect, at least as far as the surname "Charles" is concerned.
- ^b Although the second name has appeared in print as "Arius," it appears in Lion's book Calypso From France to Trinidad: 800 Years of History as "Arias".
- ^c "Kairi" is, indeed, the aboriginal name for Trinidad in the Island Carib language.
- ^d This published quote has his surname spelled Deleon rather than de Leon, the latter of which Roaring Lion seems to have preferred.
- ^e Although his surname has variously appeared in print as "DeLeon", "de Leon", "De Leon" and "Deleon", Roaring Lion gives his name as "de Leon" in his book Calypso From France to Trinidad: 800 Years of History.[page needed]
References
- ISBN 9780879306557.
- ^ Emrit, Ronald C. "Roaring Lion". bestoftrinidad.com.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 803.
- ^ "Extract of interview with The Roaring Lion (RL) by Tony (TH) and Dennis Hall (DH) on Late Night Lime 1990". Banyan Limited. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
- ^ Funk, Ray (14 July 1999). "The Kaiso Newsletter No 25". Mustrad.org.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ^ Bear Family Records, West Indian rhythm 10-CD boxset/ book
- ^ "Muses Review Online". Musesreview.org. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ^ Joseph, Terry (11 February 2002). "Homes of Kitchener, Lion to be museums". Retrieved 4 September 2009.
External links
- Roaring Lion interview by Tony Hall
- Roaring Lion biography from MP3.com site
- "Homes of Kitchener, Lion to Be Museums", by Terry Joseph, Trinidad Express (11 February 2002).
- Roaring Lion biography
- Roaring Lion discography at Discogs
See also
Further reading
- de Leon, Rafael (1986). Calypso from France to Trinidad: 800 years of history. Trinidad: General Printers of San Juan. OCLC 59071686.
- ISBN 9789768012524.
- OCLC 78806848.