Calypsonian Carlton Joseph,The Lord Blakie was born on November 3, 1932 and died January 6, 2005.
One of the greatest of our old time calypsonians and an all time favorite of mine, he was also known as The Warlord.
The sobriquet was no accident since as great a calypsonian as he was, he was also a gambling, street fighting man, a well known “badjohn “.
He was also known for his witty calypsos and sense of humor , which is emphasized in many of his songs by his infectious laugh.
His first big hit came in the early nineteen fifties as he recounted the story of an actual steelband clash , which unfortunately was fairly common in that era.
According to him, he was there.
We’re fortunate to have actual video footage of him performing some of his hits.
Though late in his career,the performances are done his his typical style and flair, and are included here.
So let’s enjoy another legend of the calypso art-form , Here in live performance is The Warlord, The Lord Blake, Mr. Carlton Joseph.
Among his many hits , Blakie also sang about his friend Lance Scott another well known “badjohn ” who he referred to as a “danger man” in this calypso “Valdez is coming”.
Blakie also commented on the street peole and incidents of his era, including this one about the well known Trinidadian gambler and hustler known as “Rama de Jamma”
