ROARING   LION REAL NAME: Rafael De Leon (aka Hubert Raphael Charles) DATE OF BIRTH: February 22, 1908 PLACE OF BIRTH: Caura, Trinidad EDUCATION: ... CAREER:                                Born to an unwed mother, Lion spent some of his early years in two orphanages before he moved to San Fernando after taking a job at the sugar mill in Usine St. Madeline. He began his singing career in 1927 in Port-of-Spain appearing at the Railway Douglas tent. He was one of a few calypsonians of his era who had any kind of musical training and played the clarinet.                                                  In the early-1930s, he joined forces with Atilla the Hun (Raymond Quevedo) in opening their own tent. In 1933, he and Atilla The Hun were sent by local merchant Eduardo Sa Gomes to New York, USA, to record calypsoes. In 1940, Lion appeared at the Maginot Line Calypso Tent and, in 1942, moved over to the Victory Tent. In 1947, he switched to the Original Old Brigade Tent and then left for England in 1951 to perform at the Festival of Great Britain.                                                   After returning to Trinidad in 1963, Lion performed at the Calypso Revue in 1964 and appeared at the Professionals Tent in 1976; he stopped performing by the end of the 1970s. From late-1981 to 1982, he wrote a weekly calypso column for the local newspaper, Evening News, and, in 1985, performed a calypso greeting for Pope John Paul II on his visit to Trinidad. In 1986, his book "Calypso from France to Trinidad, 800 Years of History" was published. Calypsoes composed and sung by Lion that were later sung by the popular American singer Harry Belafonte were "Mary Ann," "We Come From The Glory," "Tic Tic Tic," "Man Centipede," and "Ugly Woman." His calypsoes include: 1926 - Shango Cult; Send Your Children to The Orphan Home 1932 - Shango 1933 - Soucouyant 1934 - Ugly Woman; Fall of Man; Wanga; Where Is Jonah Gone? (with Atilla the Hun) 1935 - Dingolay Oh 1936 - Advantage Mussolini; Ask No Question 1937 - Netty, Netty; Sally Sally Water 1938 - Guests of Rudy Vallee (with Atilla the Hun); No Nora Darling 1940 - Poland, Poland; Mr. Neville Chamberlain; The Rise of The British Empire 1941 - Whoopsin; Pappa Chunks 1942 - Olga and The Catfish 1943 - The Governor Say No Mas 1944 - The Soldiers and The Mopsies of Pam Palam 1945 - Mary Ann; Turn Around Girl; Royal Carnival; Dorothy Went To Bathe 1946 - Intermediate Sex; Cavalcade of Songs 1947 - Little Mary Has No Lamb; Deleon; Shouterism 1948 - The Lost Watch 1949 - Chanka Maharaj's Election; My Experiences as A Soldier 1950 - The English Language 1969 - Side; If 1971 - Tribute to George Bailey; Children's Games 1972 - Formula for Nationhood; Trinidad Carnival 1976 - Hopney Rice Also - Six Feet of Earth; Jouvert Barrio; I Ain't Gonna Do It No More; I Am Going to Buy A Bungalow; Vitalogy; It's A Sin to Tell A Lie; Tina; Love Thy Neighbour; Ba Boo La La; Bargee Pelauri; Three Cheers for The Red, White, and Blue; The Death of King George VI; Land of Calypso; Out De Fire; I Can Make More Love Than Romeo; Caroline; Bamsi Lambay; Old Lady Run A Mile and A Half; Ask No Questions; Saga Boy; Donkey; It's The Rhythm We Want; Happy Land of Canaan; Four Mills Brothers; The Vender's Song; Bing Crosby; Some Girl Something; War (with King Radio and Growling Tiger); We Ain't Fraid Nobody (with King Radio); Monkey (with King Radio and Growling Tiger); Malicious Neighbours; Death; Where Is My Sister This Morning?; Africa War Call; I Will String Along With You (with Atilla the Hun); Modern Times (with Atilla the Hun) AWARDS: 1981 - Trinidad & Tobago Humming Bird Medal Silver (for Culture) 1994 - Trinidad & Tobago Chaconia Medal Gold (for Culture) DIED: July 11, 1999, in Mt. Lambert, Trinidad Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit