Lord Kitchener

Aldwyn Roberts [1922-2000], was a calypso composer and performer born in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago. Born on April 18th to a blacksmith father named Stephen and a homemaker mother named Albertha, he is best known as Lord Kitchener, a sobriquet he derived from the valiant and formidable British soldier whose name was famous in Trinidad at the time Roberts started his career as a calypsonian. He was also sometimes called just "Kitchener" or fondly "Kitchie" by those who knew him well.
Kitchener was a musical genius whose calypso recordings became famous for their popularity as chosen songs for steelbands to play at the Panorama competition every carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago. Kitchener also made a name for himself as Road March Monarch by dominating in this competition for many years, winning this title given to the most popular song on the "road" for the Carnival many times.

Some of his Road March winning songs:
"The road make to walk on Carnival day"
"Mama this is Mas"
"My Pussin'"
"Mama Look a Band Passing"
"Lai Fook Lee, Lowsee Ay"
"Margie"
"Sixty-seven"
"Mas in Madison Square Garden"
"Rainorama"

Kitchener produced musical compositions that were original and entertaining. Sometimes they were topical, relevant to a particular current event, and other times they reflected the genius of his ability to create vibrant melodies and engaging compositions from simple themes.
He is regarded as one of the greatest calypsonians of the 20th century.
His recording "Sugar Bum Bum" is noted as one of the first soca recordings ever made, making Kitchener one of the innovators of calypso who contributed to the evolution of the calypso format into the popular form in which it exists today as Soca.

The Calypso Revue was Kitchener's calypso tent where he mentored younger calypsonians such as Calypso Rose, David Rudder (who became a triple crown winner in his solo debut,) Black Stalin and Denyse Plummer, all of whom went on to win Calypso Monarch titles in their careers.

A bust of Lord Kitchener honouring the Arima son who basically put the small Royal Chartered Borough "on the map" stands tall on Hollis Avenue in Arima, near the Arima Municipal Stadium and the new promenade.

Lord Kitchener's son Kernel Roberts is poised to take his place as Road March King following in his eminent father's footsteps. He has already composed a Road March winning song for Machel Montano and Patrice Roberts for 2006 titled "Band of the Year" and his compositions continue to be top quality demonstrating the genius he inherited from his prolific and ultra-talented father.

Quote from Kitchener: I was born a calypsonian.