1974: Ras Shorty's "Om Shanti Om" caused a major uproar for itsd use of a Hindu Chant.(click for Song)

Terry Joseph recalls that "Ras Shorty, whose calypso sobriquet was a parody of his imposing height, first came to public attention in 1963 with the song “Cloak and Dagger,” catapulting him to the art’s major league at a single bound. A close friend and associate of the acclaimed calypso composer Maestro, Shorty carved his own space from the 1964 Carnival and rose swiftly in the calypso world.

Shorty's first Calypso title came in 1970, when he was crowned Calypso King of San Fernando, beating former monarchs Bomber and Black Stalin into second and third place respectively. By 1984, the was able to command the respect and trust of a stable of superior singers, who he presented for that calypso season in the yet upscale setting of Queen’s Hall, as The Professionals. But he was best known for premiering a new rhythm that fused Indian percussion instruments with the traditional calypso engine room to produce soca, defining the new beat as “the soul of calypso”.

In that vein, he produced some of calypsoes enduring masterpieces, including the seminal Endless Vibrations album. Apart from its infectious title-track and other catchy songs like “Zena”, the album offered an insight into revolutionary possibilities for calypso music, most notably the Hindu-oriented “Om Shanti”, a song that caused more than a mild uproar in certain quarters for its use of the chant in its chorus line.

Shorty went on to become The Love Man, singing songs in that idiom, some of which caused him to run afoul of the authorities. He was, however equally adept at social commentary, with his “Money Eh No Problem” (1984) becoming one of calypso’s all-time classics.

But by the turn of the 1980’s Shorty became disenchanted with the very image and music he had created, saying that soca was being used for all the wrong reasons.He then underwent a dramatic change of image, taking a deeply spiritual direction and going back to nature. In the process he became Ras Shorty-I, changing his style to composing and singing deeply devout songs.

In 1997 he released “Watch Out My Children” an anti-drug song that stayed at the number one slot throughout the Caribbean for many weeks and sold well in North America and the UK. The song was translated into several languages."