Lord Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts)

Aldwyn Roberts, better known as Lord Kitchener or “Kitch”, is widely regarded as a “Grandmaster” of calypso music. Calypso originated on the plantations of Trinidad in the 17^th century at a time when conversation amongst enslaved Africans was banned. Calypso became an important channel of communication to share gossip, satire, news and protest.

Born 18^th April 1922 on Farfan Street, Arima, Trinidad. Lord Kitchener was one of six children to Blacksmith Stephen Roberts and wife Albertha. After the death of both his parents in 1936 Kitchener left Arima Government Boy’s School to take up his first job singing and playing guitar. Kitchener took his stage name as a teenager with ‘Lord’ being a title his fans later awarded him.

Already a successful Calypsonian in Trinidad Lord Kitchener travelled to England on HMT Empire Windrush, arriving at Tilbury Docks on 21 June 1948.  Lord Kitchener featured on the Pathé newsreel footage of the ship’s arrival introducing himself to British audiences by singing his new composition ‘London is the Place for Me.’ The song articulated the hopes, dreams and excitement many passengers may have felt before arriving in Britain.

London is the Place for Me

London is the place for me
London this lovely city
You can go to France or America,
India, Asia or Australia
But you must come back to London city
Well believe me I am speaking broadmindedly
I am glad to know my Mother Country
I have been travelling to countries years ago
But this is the place I wanted to know
London that is the place for me

Staying in Britain for 14 years he went on to achieve further international success and became a legendary figure throughout a long career. Kitchener was responsible for the growth of Trinidadian music’s popularity and extensively recorded for the Parlophone, Melodisc and Lyragon labels.  Kitchener worked with British record producer Denis Preston who supervised recordings made by leading calypso musicians at the Abbey Road Studios in London. An influential figure in the jazz scene of the era he supervised most of the recordings that have been assembled for the album London is the Place for Me.  Kitch’s records were also exported in large quantities back to the Caribbean, where he remained popular.

Kitchener introduced white audiences to aspects of Caribbean culture that was now taking root in England. He proved popular amongst young audiences including HRH Princess Margaret, who saw Kitchener perform and is said to have bought a hundred copies of his recording of ‘Kitch, Come to Bed’.

Kitch chronicled the realities of the Caribbean experience in Britain with calypsos including; The Cold In Winter, If You Brown, My Landlady, which strike a significantly less optimistic note than ‘London is the place for me.’

The Cold In Winter

I can’t stand the cold in winter
I want to buy an incubator.

If You Brown

It’s a shame it’s unfair but what can you do
The colour of your skin makes it hard for you…
If you brown they say you can stick around
If you white well everything’s all right
If your skin is dark, no use, you try
You got to suffer until you die

My Landlady

My landlady is too rude
In my affair, she likes to intrude

On 14 May 1953 Kitchener married Elsie (Marjorie) Lines and later moved to Trafford, briefly owning his own night club whilst continuing his recording career. Kitchener lived at various properties in the Trafford and Manchester area including 48 Brooks Road (1957 – 1962) and Chelford Street, Stretford.

When the West Indies cricket team beat England in a Test match in England for the very first time in 1950, Kitch led the cheering West Indian fans onto the pitch and then in procession to Piccadilly to celebrate the momentous victory.

He experienced more success during the 1950s with songs that celebrated sporting heroes, resulted in the Manchester Football Double song written in 1956 when Manchester City were FA Cup champions and United were League champions.  

Manchester Football Double

I raise my hat with hilarity
To managers McDowall and Matt Busby
Their names must go down in history
For good management consistently
They've got the secret, they've got the brain
To put Manchester on top again
When speaking of good football
They can never beat Manchester at all

While living in Trafford, perhaps influenced by a strong Pan Africa movement that developed in Manchester after the city hosted the 1945 Pan African Congress,Kitch wrote Birth of Ghana, a calypso to celebrate Ghanain independence.

Birth of Ghana

This day will never be forgotten
The sixth of March Nineteen Fifty Seven
When the Gold Coast successfully
Get their independence officially

Ghana
Ghana is the name
Ghana
We wish to proclaim
We will be jolly, merry and gay
The sixth of March independence day

In 1962 Kitch moved to Port of Spain, Trinidad where he lived for the rest of his life becoming a dominant force on the calypso scheme.  Kitchener took the title of Road March king on ten occasions between 1963 and 1976, an annual competition to compose the calypso for the carnival procession.

He returned briefly to England two years later to perform at the Manchester Carnival in 1962 and was part of the milieu which gave birth to the Notting Hill carnival in the late 1960s.

Kitchener died on 11^th February 2000 having achieved international acclaim and legendary status. Kitchener’s considerable contribution to Trinidadian culture was commemorated with statues in Arima and Port of Spain. His former home, Rainorama Palace, has been turned into a museum and further honours include an auditorium named after him in the National Academy for Performing Arts in Trinidad and a street in Arima has been renamed Lord Kitchener Avenue.