Trinidadian calypso singer and composer. He was one of the pioneers in spreading awareness of calypso beyond its birthplace in Trinidad and Tobago.
Born: March 24, 1892
Died: February 22, 1962
He began singing in 1911. Attila started as a lead singer for a Carnival masquerade band in Port of Spain, Trinidad. By the 1920s, he was singing in calypso tents and soon became a very popular performer, being the most prominent in the 1930s and 1940s. Together with the Roaring Lion he brought calypso to the United States for the first time in 1934.
Atilla was the first calypsonian to hold elected public office; he was elected to the Port of Spain City Council in 1946 and was elected to the Legislative Council of Trinidad and Tobago in 1950 representing the St. George County East.
United States