Trinidad: "Rum and Coca-Cola" Song
Rum and Coca-Cola is the title of a popular calypso song. In the late 1940's, American entertainer Morey Amsterdam claimed authorship of the song and turned it into a huge hit, when he recorded a version of the song with the Andrews Sisters. The song became the third-best selling record of the 1940s.
However, the melody had been previously published by Trinidad calypso composer Lionel Belasco in a song titled "L'Année Passée", based on a traditional folksong from Trinidad. The original lyrics to "Rum and Coca-Cola" were written by Lord Invader, another calypso musician from Trinidad.
After the release of the Andrews Sisters version of "Rum and Coca-Cola", Belasco and Lord Invader filed a lawsuit in U.S. court for copyright infringement of the song's music lyrics. After years of litigation, both plaintiffs won their cases and received an award of more than $150,000 in royalties. Both authors reestablished their ownership of the music and lyrics.
