Profiles: Heroes, Role Models and Pioneers of Trinidad and Tobago - by Nasser Khan

50 LORD BRYNER (KADE SIMON) (1937-1980) K ade Simon aka Lord Bryner was a popular calypsonian from the late1950’s to the 1970’s who, like the famousAmerican screen actor, Yul Brynner, performed with his head shaved. He moved to Jamaica to join the West Indies Regiment which functioned from 1958 until the early 1960s when there was a West Indies Federation. He performed in Jamaica for a while before returning to Trinidad after the collapse of the Federation. In August 1962, he won the special calypso competition that was held to celebrate the independence of Trinidad & Tobago. His winning calypso was entitled “This Land is Mine”. Here are some of the words: People only talking but they really don’t know What’s the proper meaning for Trinidad and Tobago Cipriani start the ball rolling Now the Doctor doing the bowling So we have Uncle Eric to perform a real hat trick. Because this is your land, just as well as my land This is your place and also it is my place So let us put our heads together And live like one happy family Democratically, educationally, We’ll be independently. 31st of August, Independence 1962, Independence Will go down in history for everyone of you Forget racialism and nationalism too Let discipline, production, and Tolerance guide us through Independence Conscientiously, Independence And constitutionally, Independence