Calypsonian King Radio's lament of an unfaithful woman who took his money and "run Venezuela" was the "road march" or the most popular song on the streets during the 1939 Trinidad Carnival. During the following decades, "Matilda" was sung and recorded by artists around the world. The Duke of Iron recorded the song in New York for Moe Asch's Dial label during the post-World War II years. Harry Belafonte recorded it in 1953 and continued to perform it regularly in his concerts. Hollywood actor Robert Mitchum included it on his 1957 calypso album, Calypso Is Like So.
