Brother Resistance: Ringing the Bell for Freedom

Brother Resistance helped transform rapso into one of Trinidad and Tobago’s strongest musical expressions of resistance, identity and cultural pride.

Born Roy Lewis and later known as Lutalo Makossa Masimba, he became one of the movement’s leading pioneers. Through songs including Ring De Bell, Mother Earth and Tonight Is De Night, he used rhythm and spoken word to challenge colonial thinking and defend the value of local culture.

Rapso drew from the chantwell, calypso, African oral traditions, Orisa rhythms, the Midnight Robber and the political energy of the 1970 Black Power movement.

For Brother Resistance, music was not simply entertainment. It was a tool for education, organisation and awakening.

His trademark bell became a symbol of that call. It invited people to remember their history, respect their own voices and continue the unfinished work of liberation.

His contribution also extended beyond the stage through his leadership in cultural organisations and his support for younger artistes.

Brother Resistance reminded Trinidad and Tobago that emancipation must include cultural independence. His bell may be silent today, but the message still rings.