“One Sunday morning I chanced to hear, a rumbling and a tumbling in the atmosphere…..”
Calypsonians, especially in the early days, followed the tradition of the West African griot, commenting on everyday occurrences and memorable events.
One such memorable event was the visit of the legendary German airship , the Graf Zeppelin to Trinidad , on its way to the Chicago World’s Fair ( the Century of Progress International Exhibition ) in October of 1933 .
Indeed , many of us “old timers”, even though we weren’t around at the time, were familiar with the song’s opening lyrics, “ One Sunday morning I chanced to hear, a rumbling and a tumbling in the atmosphere…..”
At least, I was.
Recorded in 1934 , this classic calypso by Attila the Hun (Raymond Quevedo 1892 -1962) recounts his experiences when the Graf Zeppelin visited Trinidad on the way to the Chicago World’s fair.
The Graf Zeppelin was taken out of service in 1937 after the Hindenberg disaster , when that airship ( the Hindenberg ) caught fire and was destroyed while attempting to land in New Jersey , resulting in 36 fatalities.
Atilla the Hun was the first calypsonian to be elected to public office in Trinidad, since he was elected to the Port of Spain City Council in 1946 ,and to Trinidad’s Legislative Council in 1950 as the representative of St. George County East
From the album “Calypso Pioneers 1912 -1937,
Attila the Hun “Graf Zeppelin”,
G R JOSEPH 