Lord Invader - Rum & Coca Cola (Intro with Alan Lomax)

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Here is a performance by Trinidadian calypsonian, Lord Invader, at the Town Hall in New York in 1946. The concert was hosted by archivist, folklorist, ethnomusicologist and all-round culture preserver, Alan Lomax. After hearing it in Trinidad in 1943, Morey Amsterdam copyrighted the song in the U.S. in 1944 and it eventually became a huge hit for The Andrews Sisters. However, because it was copyrighted without the permission of Lord Invader, the result was a lawsuit. To further complicate matters, during the lawsuit a music publisher, Maurice Baron, claimed that “Rum and Coca Cola” infringed upon a copyright that he held i.e. the melody of “Rum and Coca Cola” was similar to his copyrighted song “L'Année Passée“. This particular song was an adaptation of a Martiniquan folk song by Trinidadian composer and pianist, Lionel Belasco. In 1943, Baron had published the song in the U.S. for Belasco. So, the final result was two successful lawsuits against Amsterdam; Lord Invader for the lyrics, and Baron for the music. In the end, the absurdity amidst all the settlements was that Morey Amsterdam was allowed to keep the copyright for the song. Listen to the The Andrews Sisters' cover here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtcYpCUl9D4