[1] Born into a well-known family in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on 21 June 1928, one of five sisters,[3] Mona Baptiste was 14 when she began singing on the radio and at dances, later becoming involved with the Little Carib Theatre.

[6] In August that year, she was booked to appear on BBC Radio and performed alongside Lord Beginner (Egbert Moore), who had also travelled on the Empire Windrush.

[11][12] In 1951, she worked Ted Heath's band and other jazz groups, and recorded for Melodisc her version of "Calypso Blues", a song originally performed by Nat King Cole.

[14] Invited by Yves Montand to Paris, she appeared at top cabaret spot La Nouvelle Eve, and went on to perform in Belgium and Germany, where she was a great success and decided to settle.

[4] In Germany, where she had a house in Krefeld,[15] she gained recognition for her popular songs such as "There's Something in the Air" and movie appearances including in the 1954 films Tanz in der Sonne and An jedem Finger zehn,[1][2] as well as starring in Porgy and Bess for East German television.