Lord Kitchener (calypsonian)
| Lord Kitchener | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Aldwyn Roberts |
| Also known as | Lord Kitchener |
| Born |
18 April 1922 Arima, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Died | 11 February 2000 (aged 77) Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Occupation(s) | Calypsonian |
| Labels |
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Aldwyn Roberts (18 April 1922 – 11 February 2000), better known by the stage name Lord Kitchener (or "Kitch"), was an internationally known Trinidadian calypsonian. He has been described as "the grand master of calypso" and "the greatest calypsonian of the post-war age".
Roberts was born in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago, the son of a blacksmith, Stephen, and housewife, Albertha. He was educated at the Arima Boys Government School until he was 14, when his father died, leaving him orphaned. His father had encouraged him to sing and taught him to play the guitar, and he became a full-time musician, his first job playing guitar for Water Scheme labourers while they laid pipes in the San Fernando Valley. He became locally popular in Arima with songs such as "Shops Close Too Early", and joined the Sheriff Band as lead singer. He won the Arima borough council's calypso competition five times between 1938 and 1942.
He moved to Port of Spain in 1943 where he joined the Roving Brigade. He was spotted singing "Mary I am Tired and Disgusted" (aka "Green Fig") with the group by Johnny Khan, who invited him to perform in his Victory Tent, where he met fellow calypsonian Growling Tiger, who decided Roberts should from that point be known as Lord Kitchener. He became known as an innovator, introducing musical and lyrical changes, including frequent criticism of the British government's control of the island. He became popular with US troops based on the island, leading to performances in New York.
He toured Jamaica for six months in 1947-8 with Lord Beginner (Egbert Moore) and Lord Woodbine (Harold Philips) before they took passage on the Empire Windrush to England in 1948. Upon his arrival, Kitchener performed the specially-written song "London Is the Place for Me", which he sang live on a report for Pathé News.
Within two years he was a regular performer on BBC radio, and was much in demand for live performances. He found further success in the UK in the 1950s, building a large following in the expatriate communities of the West Indian islands, and having hits with "Kitch", "Food from the West Indie", "Tie Tongue Mopsy", and "Alec Bedser Calypso", while remaining popular in T&T.
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