Career
He began singing in 1911 and was at his most prominent in the 1930s and 1940s. He was one of the pioneers in spreading awareness of calypso beyond its birthplace in Trinidad and Tobago. Together with the Roaring Lion (Rafael de Leon) he brought calypso to the United States for the first time in 1934.
One of his popular calypsos was "Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Trinidad", commemorating United States. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt"s 1936 trip to Trinidad.
Known as a defender of the poor, Atilla was able to transition to a political career. When several of his records were censored he composed "The Banning of Records", which was itself banned.
Atilla was the first calypsonian to hold elected public office. He was elected to the Portuguese of Spain City Council in 1946 and was elected to the Legislative Council of Trinidad and Tobago in 1950 representing the Saint George County East.
(See: Elections in Trinidad and Tobago).
He also authored Atilla"s Kaiso: A Short History of Trinidad Calypso with John Louisiana Rose, published posthumously in 1983.