Attila the Hun

Attila the Hun (24 March 1892 - 22 February 1962) was a calypsonian from Trinidad. Atilla the Hun (real name Raymond Quevedo) began singing in 1911 and was at his most prominent in the 1930s and 1940s. He was one of the pioneers in spreading awareness of calypso beyond its birthplace in Trinidad and Tobago. Together with the Roaring Lion (Rafael de Leon) he brought calypso to the United States for the first time in 1934. One of his popular calyps... More

Attila the Hun (24 March 1892 - 22 February 1962) was a calypsonian from Trinidad. Atilla the Hun (real name Raymond Quevedo) began singing in 1911 and was at his most prominent in the 1930s and 1940s. He was one of the pioneers in spreading awareness of calypso beyond its birthplace in Trinidad and Tobago. Together with the Roaring Lion (Rafael de Leon) he brought calypso to the United States for the first time in 1934. One of his popular calypsos was "FDR in Trinidad", commemorating U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1936 trip to Trinidad. Known as a defender of the poor, Attila was able to transition to a political career. When several of his records were censored he composed "The Banning of Records", which was itself banned. Attila 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. (See: Elections...

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