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MIGHTY STRIKER
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| REAL NAME: |
Percy Oblington |
| DATE OF BIRTH: |
April 1930 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: |
D'Abadie, Trinidad |
| EDUCATION: |
... |
| CAREER: The son of a blacksmith, Sriker earned a living in his youth working as a coconut husker near Arouca, alongside calypso legends Mighty Cypher, Lord Eisenhower (his cousin), and Lord Montgomery. He began singing in local tents in Arouca and D'abadie at the age of 15 and first appeared in the tents in Port of Spain in 1949. Sriker was a boxer in his youth and was given the name Mighty Striker by his mentor, the Mighty Cypher, when he entered the professional calypso world. In 1957, Striker finished third in the Calypso King competition behind two legends, Lord Pretender and the Mighty Spoiler. He won the Calypso Crown in 1958 ("Don't Blame The PNM," and "Can't Find A Job to Suit Me") and 1959 ("Ban the Hoola Hoop," and "Comparison"). In addition to being the first calypsonian to win the competition in consecutive years, he was also the first to win the title with the two-song requirement. In 1960, he placed third behind the Mighty Sparrow and Lord Melody, felt cheated and never returned to the competition. Striker was a popular fixture in the tents during the 1950s and 1960s. He played the guitar, wrote his own music, and was an accomplished saxophonist as well. By the late-1970s, Striker's popularity waned and he earned his living as a taxicab driver. Four decades after he first won his titles, he performed at the Vintage Kaiso Brigade Tent and Kaiso Karavan. His other calypsos included:
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| DIED: |
February 12, 2011, in Trinidad from prostate cancer. |
| Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit |
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