Brother Resistance

Roy Lewis aka Lutalo Masimba,^[1] better known as Brother Resistance, is a rhythm poet and musician from Trinidad and Tobago.

Career

Born in East Dry River, Trinidad, Brother Resistance became, together with Brother Shortman, the lead singer of the Network Riddum Band, a Trinidadian ensemble, in 1979.^[2] They developed a hybrid of soca and rap that they called 'rapso', a genre for which they credited Lancelot Layne as originator.^[2][3] Considered subversive by the authorities, the band's rehearsal space and offices were destroyed by the police in June 1983.^[2] The group released their first album, Roots of de Rapso Rhythm, in 1984, which was followed by Rapso Explosion and Rapso Takeover in 1985 and 1986 respectively.^[2] International performances brought recognition from overseas, changing the attitude of the T&T government, who selected Brother Resistance as their cultural delegate to the World Festival of Youth and Students in Korea.^[2] In between completing studies at the University of the West Indies, Brother Resistance and the Network Riddum Band continued to write music for the ensemble, and their 1981 debut album, Busting Out, became a major hit, defining the musical genre that would come to be known as rapso. Busting Out was the first album to use the word rapso.

He appeared at New York's 'New Music Festival' in 1992 and in 1993 at the International Dub Poetry Festival in Toronto.^[2]

Solo discography

Albums

• Touch De Earth with Rapso (1991)
• Heart of the Rapso Nation (1992)
• De Power of Resistance (1996), Rituals
• Let Us Rejoice (2001)
• When De Riddum Explode (2001)

Singles

• "Tonite Is De Nite" (1987), Riddum Distribution Network
• "Jah Never Fail Me" (2001), Blue Flame

References

External links

• Official website
• Allmusic entry