Sam Manning was one of the first Trinidadians to make a substantial impact in the international music world. He was born in Trinidad around 1899 and, during World War I, served in the British West Indies Regiment in France and the Middle East. In the early 1920s, he moved to New York, where he developed a career in musicals, such as Hey, Hey; Brown Sugar and the Pepper Sauce Review. He also made numerous recordings in a vaudeville style that fused jazz and Caribbean traditions. His primary audience included African Americans and Caribbean migrants to the U.S., though he performed in the Caribbean, as well. In 1934 Manning moved to England, where he continued to perform and record. With his companion Amy Garvey (Marcus Garvey's former wife), he was also active in pan-African politics.

In 1941 Manning returned to New York and made two "soundies"—short films that were played on jukeboxes. Both featured Beryl McBurnie, a prominent Trinidadian dancer. After World War II, Manning and his then partner Adolph Thenstead started a record label and brought the first calypso musical, Caribbean Carnival, to Broadway. Neither endeavor was a success. Manning continued in the music business through the 1950s and, in 1960, died while traveling in Africa.