Lord Kitchener (calypsonian)

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For the First World War leader, see Horatio Kitchener

Lord Kitchener (April 18, 1922 - February 11, 2000) was one of the most internationally famous calypsonians.^[1] Born Aldwyn Roberts in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago, he was the son of a blacksmith, Stephen and homemaker, Albertha.^[2]

Kitchener's success began after he moved to England and he soon became extremely popular there. His fame continued throughout the 1950s, when calypso achieved international success. Later, though, he moved towards soca, a related style, and continued recording until his death. Kitchener's compositions were enormously popular as the chosen selections for steel bands to perform at the annual National Panorama competition during Trinidad Carnival.

His most famous songs include:

Rain-o-rama (also the name he gave to his home in Trinidad on the Diego Martin Main Road)
Pan in A Minor
Sugar Bum Bum
Bees' Melody
Dr. Kitch (covered by Judge Dread, Dr. Ring-Ding, and others)
Margie (written for his English wife, Marjorie)
My Wife's Nightie
Toco Band
Pan In the 21st Century
Drink a Rum
67
Gimme de thing

Kitchener emigrated from Trinidad, spending six months in Jamaica before traveling on the Empire Windrush to the UK. In 1952, he met his wife Marjorie. During the 1950s he built a large following in the expatriate communities of the West Indian islands.

"Kitch" became a very important figure to those first 5000 West Indian migrants to the UK. His music^[3] spoke of home and a life that they all longed for but in many cases couldn't or wouldn't return to. On June 29 1950, he immortalised the defining moment for many of the migrants in writing 'Cricket, Lovely Cricket.' This was one of the first widely-known West Indian songs, and epitomised an event that historian and cricket enthusiast C. L. R. James defined as crucial to West Indian post-colonial societies. The song, later recorded by Lord Beginner, is rarely credited to Lord Kitchener although Tony Cozier and many who attended the Test at The Oval can attest that it was a Kitch composition.

Later in his life, Kitch lived in obscurity in Manchester. He was found there by a fellow Calypsonian, Mighty Sparrow, who brought him back to Trinidad in 1962. The two calypsonians proceeded to dominate the calypso competitions of the sixties and seventies. Lord Kitchener won the road march competition ten times between 1965 and 1976, more times than any other calypsonian.

For 30 years, Kitchener ran his own calypso tent, Calypso Revue, by which he nurtured the talent of many calypsonians. Calypso Rose, David Rudder, Black Stalin and Denyse Plummer are among the many artists who got their start under Kitchener's tutelage.

Kitchener, who created highly-popular and sweet melodies, is honoured with a statue in Port of Spain. He is buried in the Santa Rosa Cemetery in Arima. A bust of the beloved entertainer is also on display on Hollis Avenue, Arima, not far from the Arima Stadium.

Kitchener's son, Kernal Roberts, is also a performer, playing drums for the biggest soca band in the country, Xtatik. He's also their musical director and composer of the 2006 Road March.

It has always been important in Kitch's career to gain new experiences which can be woven into his material. This took him to performances in Curaçao, Aruba and Jamaica in the early days, and finally to London, when he was already flying high in Trinidad. Kitch said "I had reached to the height of my popularity in Trinidad, he remembers. What am I doing here? I should make a move."

In England, Kitch started out working in London pubs. At first there were difficulties with English audiences who did not understand all the words, but that did not deter Kitch, and after the BBC gave him a chance to broadcast, he moved on to club bookings, and was soon performing in three clubs every night.