Mighty Terror
Encyclopedia
Fitzgerald Henry better known as the Mighty Terror, was a Trinidadian
calypsonian
.
During his time in Trinidad he recorded first for Sa Gomes (1951), for Christopher (1952) and took part in the Dial sessions in 1953.
later that year. On arrival in England, he went first to London
. In his own words:
I jump in a taxi and I say, Do you know of a gentleman called Lord Kitchener
? I figure he popular and a taxi driver should know. He tell me he dead long time ago. Not that one (I said). This one is a calypsonian from the West Indies, Trinidad.
Popular or not, the taxi driver had not heard of Lord Kitchener so took him to a West Indian club where he was given the phone number of Fitzroy Coleman. Terror moved in with the Colemans and within a month he was regularly singing in the clubs and had won a contract to sing a jingle for the BBC
.
He began recording for Melodisc in 1954 and took part in the Nixa sessions in 1958 (these tracks being released by Pye).
In 1957 Terror won the title of Calypso King of Great Britain at the concert organised by Claudia Jones after attacks on the West London black community. This concert was the prelude to the now famous Notting Hill Carnival
.
The time between 1958 and 1964 was spent touring, first with Lord Kitchener
and later with Bert McLean's Trio
, Senegal
.
In 1985 his home country awarded him the Silver Humming Bird Medal for services to Calypso music.
The Mighty Terror, until recently, performed in Trinidad.
The Mighty Terror was ill with cancer of the throat. After an appeal by his wife Gloria, Pan Trinbago and the National Carnival Commission agreed to foot the bill for Nursing Home care once he left hospital. Patrick Arnold of Pan Trinbago said, "We felt a responsibility to spare him the ignominy of an existence that would rob him of his dignity and decided to do something about it" while Kenny Da Silva of the NCC added, "You can’t leave somebody like Terror to chance and to the vagaries of a life in an infirm condition in the winter of his years".
The Mighty Terror died on March 14, 2007 because of his cancer.
at the time.Brownskin Gal and Jamaica Girl About the behaviour of American soldiers towards local girls in the Caribbean.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
calypsonian
Calypsonian
A calypsonian , originally known as the chantwell is a musician, from the Anglophone Caribbean, who sings songs called calypso. Calypsos are musical renditions having their origins in the West African griot tradition...
.
Early career in Trinidad
His career started in 1947 and he first debuted at the Calypso Palace Tent in 1948. He joined the Young Brigade Tent in 1949, where he continued playing until leaving Trinidad in 1953.During his time in Trinidad he recorded first for Sa Gomes (1951), for Christopher (1952) and took part in the Dial sessions in 1953.
Move to England
In 1953, he took a job as a fireman on a ship and arrived in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
later that year. On arrival in England, he went first to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In his own words:
I jump in a taxi and I say, Do you know of a gentleman called Lord Kitchener
Lord Kitchener (calypsonian)
Aldwyn Roberts , better known by the stage name Lord Kitchener , was one of the most internationally famous calypsonians. He was the son of a blacksmith, Stephen, and homemaker, Albertha.-Life:...
? I figure he popular and a taxi driver should know. He tell me he dead long time ago. Not that one (I said). This one is a calypsonian from the West Indies, Trinidad.
Popular or not, the taxi driver had not heard of Lord Kitchener so took him to a West Indian club where he was given the phone number of Fitzroy Coleman. Terror moved in with the Colemans and within a month he was regularly singing in the clubs and had won a contract to sing a jingle for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
He began recording for Melodisc in 1954 and took part in the Nixa sessions in 1958 (these tracks being released by Pye).
In 1957 Terror won the title of Calypso King of Great Britain at the concert organised by Claudia Jones after attacks on the West London black community. This concert was the prelude to the now famous Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event which since 1964 has taken place on the streets of Notting Hill, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea , London, UK each August, over two days...
.
The time between 1958 and 1964 was spent touring, first with Lord Kitchener
Lord Kitchener (calypsonian)
Aldwyn Roberts , better known by the stage name Lord Kitchener , was one of the most internationally famous calypsonians. He was the son of a blacksmith, Stephen, and homemaker, Albertha.-Life:...
and later with Bert McLean's Trio
Return To Trinidad
Terror returned to Trinidad in 1965 and won the Calypso Crown in 1966. In April 1966, he represented Trinidad at the Festival of Negro Arts in DakarDakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
.
In 1985 his home country awarded him the Silver Humming Bird Medal for services to Calypso music.
The Mighty Terror, until recently, performed in Trinidad.
The Mighty Terror was ill with cancer of the throat. After an appeal by his wife Gloria, Pan Trinbago and the National Carnival Commission agreed to foot the bill for Nursing Home care once he left hospital. Patrick Arnold of Pan Trinbago said, "We felt a responsibility to spare him the ignominy of an existence that would rob him of his dignity and decided to do something about it" while Kenny Da Silva of the NCC added, "You can’t leave somebody like Terror to chance and to the vagaries of a life in an infirm condition in the winter of his years".
The Mighty Terror died on March 14, 2007 because of his cancer.
Music and Lyrics
Like most Calypso, the Mighty Terror's songs tell a story. Many of them contain a lot of innuendo and some surprisingly explicit themes for the time they were released. There are a number of themes (examples follow):Personal life
TV Calypso About him buying his very first TV after being continually nagged by his wife and daughter.Patricia Gone With Millicent About his wife leaving him for a violent lesbian relationship.Other Calypsonians
Kitch Calvacade A tribute to Lord Kitchener.Calypso War A tirade against "fake" calypsonians from Jamaica.Social Commentary
Heading North About the racial discrimination in the Southern States of the U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the time.Brownskin Gal and Jamaica Girl About the behaviour of American soldiers towards local girls in the Caribbean.
Pure Humour
Women Police in England About his efforts to get arrested by the "lovely blondy" policewoman he saw.External links
- http://www.calypsoarchives.co.uk/maindirectory/Mighty%20Terror.html Discography, not totally complete, but pretty good.
- Recent article about the Terror's current illness and an appeal from his wife.