Lord Tokyo

Hayden Desiree (20 June 1934 – 12 April 2015), better known as Lord Tokyo (and sometimes as Doctor Tokes),[1] was one of the most prominent Dominiquais calypsonians. He was the first solo artist to release a Dominiquais-produced record, won the island's Calypso King title, and wrote a winner of the Road March contest.

Lord Tokyo
Birth nameHayden Desiree
Born(1934-06-20)20 June 1934
Loubiere, Dominica
Died12 April 2015(2015-04-12) (aged 80)
New York, United States
GenresCalypso
Occupation(s)Calypsonian
Years active1960s–2015

Career

Born in Loubiere in 1934, Tokyo worked as a taxi driver before finding success as a calypsonian.[2] He married Clemencia Desabaye on 26 May 1962.[2]

Tokyo won Grandbay South Monarch crowns in 1965 and 1966, and in 1966 won the national Calypso Monarch title with "To Hell with the Judges" and "Dr. Tokes".[1] He made history in 1967 when, shortly after the debut release by the Swingin' Stars Orchestra, he became the first solo artist on the island to release a locally-made record with the single "De Man Doing de Pumpin'".[3]

In 1969 he won the Calypso King of Dominica title, and the following year his composition "Tennis Shoe Scandal" won the Road March.[1][2][3] In the early 1970s he began a collaboration with Trinidadian Lord Shorty and lyricist Chris Seraphine, combining calypso, cadence, and Creole patois to give the music a new flavour.[3] Their partnership produced the hit "Ou Dee Moin Ou Petit Shorty", and their innovation led to the development of soca.[1][3][4]

Tokyo spent much of his career in the US (where he also worked as a security guard), Canada, and the UK, recording his debut album in the latter in 1978.[3] He became good friends with Mighty Sparrow and went on to work with Sparrow's band in the 1997, recording a new version of his Road March winner "Tennis Shoe Scandal", following it with the album Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All in 1998.[3] De Pumping Man followed in 2000, featuring a guest appearance from Sparrow on the title track.[3]

He died in New York on 12 April 2015, aged 80, after suffering a heart attack.[1] He was survived by 11 children, 28 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.[2]

Discography
  • Lord Tokyo Sings To The Nightengale: Calypso Harmonies (1978), Caribana
  • Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All (1998)
  • De Pumping Man (2000)
gollark: It is probably an improvement on average, at least.
gollark: The current system, whatever you label it, works fairly well. There are definitely problems. So many problems. Also lots of room for significant improvements without getting rid of it all. But it works decently well without requiring everyone to magically get along fine and the world is steadily increasing in prosperity.
gollark: If your thing only works for self-selected small groups, then it's hardly a good way to organize... our whole global societies comprising 7 billion people, quite a lot of whom don't like each other.
gollark: I just don't think it would actually work at current global scales or for probably most people.
gollark: Great!

References
  1. "Lord Tokyo Dies", The Sun (Dominica), 13 April 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016
  2. "OBITUARY: Hayden “Lord Tokyo” Desiree", dominicanewsinline.com, 22 April 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2016
  3. Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6, p. 155
  4. Henry, Steinberg (2011) An Unassuming Love: Black Memory, A Traveloguer, and Cricket, ISBN 978-1462883967, p. 20
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