Sundar Popo

• Honorific Prefix — Ustad • Name — Sundar Popo • Honorific Suffix — HBM • Birth Name — Sundarlal Popo Bahora • Other Names — King of Chutney, Father of Chutney, Don of Chutney, The Champ • Born — 4 November 1943 • Birthplace — Barrackpore, Trinidad and Tobago, British Windward Islands • Died — 2 May 2000 • Place of death — Barrackpore, Trinidad and Tobago • Occupation — Singer, musician

Popo was born on 4 November 1943 in Monkey Town, Barrackpore, Trinidad and Tobago. His family were Hindu Indo-Trinidadians. Both his parents were musicians; his mother was a singer and his father was an accomplished tassa drummer. At the age of 15, he began singing bhajans at mandirs and weddings in his hometown for 15 to 30 cents a show. Popo worked as a watchman at a Barrackpore factory, and trained in music under the Indian classical singer Ustad James Ramsawak.

In 1969, he met Moean Mohammed, a radio host and promoter. After listening to Nani and Nana, a song with lyrics in both Trinidadian Hindustani and Trinidadian English, describing the daily lives of an Indian maternal grandmother (Nani) and maternal grandfather (Nana), Mohammed got maestro Harry Mahabir to record the song at Television House, accompanied by the British West Indies Airways (BWIA) National Indian Orchestra. The song revolutionized Indo-Caribbean music in Trinidad and Tobago. After the success of Nani and Nana, Popo devoted more of his time to his singing career. He followed Nani and Nana with an album combining local Trinidadian music with traditional Indian folk music. In total, he recorded more than 15 albums. He is best known for his song Scorpion Gyul. Babla & Kanchan had success with their version of his "Pholourie Bina Chutney". After the release of Nani and Nana, he followed up shortly in the mid 1970s with a string of popular singles and appearances on Mastana Bahar and the Indian Cultural Pageants. His singles were then released on his first LP, Come Dance With The Champ (1979). Through Moean Mohammed's Windsor Records, his singles and early 1980s LPs were distributed throughout the Caribbean, South America, North America and Europe with assistance from Rohit Jagessar and various other producers and record store owners. By the late 1980s, he started making frequent appearances outside of the Caribbean to perform. He appeared as a headliner in New York. He performed with international Indian stars Babla & Kanchan, Anup Jalota, Amitabh Bachchan, and Kishore Kumar. Popo also performed with numerous Chutney artists and other Trinidadian and Caribbean artists. Popo won many awards during his career, and in 1995 Black Stalin won the Trinidad and Tobago Calypso Monarch title with his Tribute to Sundar Popo. There are also other tributes to Popo done by Devannand Gatto, Terry Gajraj, Rikki Jai, Ravi Bissambhar, Brian Mohan, Anthony Batson, Superblue, Dave Lall, Drupatee Ramgoonai, and Chris Garcia. In addition to his solo albums, Popo has also released collaborations with Babla & Kanchan, and JMC Triveni.

• Come Dance with the Champ – 1979 • Hot & Spicy (with Anup Jalota) – 1980 • Hot & Sweet – 1981 • The Nana and Nani Man Sings Again – 1982 • Sundar Fever – 1985 • The Latest, The Greatest – 1986 • Sundar Soca – 1986 • Indian Soca – 1987 • Screwdriver – 1988 • Oh My Lover – 1989 • Nana & Nani Don't Cry – 1989 • Sundar Popo's Heartbreak – 1990 • Who We Go Bring Back Again? – 1991 • Is The Spaner She Want – 1992 • Sweet Sweet Guyana (with Anand Yankaran)- 1993 • Children Children Respect Your Mother & Father – 1993 • Dance Party King – 1994 • Classic – 1994 • Cool Yuhself With Cold Water – 1995 • Musical Voyage: East Meets West – 1998 • Unity – 1998 • Friends – 2000

• Nana & Nani bw Indian Moments of Treasure – 1969 • Play You Mas – 1971 • Scorpion Gyul bw Phuluwrie Bina Chatnee – 1976 • Caroni Gyul bw Ab Na Jaibay – 1978 • Come My Darling bw Sabhagie – 1975 • Hum Najaiba bw Tears in My Eyes – 1978 • Maa Ka Mohabat bw Don't Fall in Love – 1977 • Naina Bandh/Chal Ka Chal – 1986 • Samdhin Tere/Tere Liye – 1986