Tribute to Lord Kitchener
So The Grandmaster has left us.
I'm sure that like myself, Trini's at home and abroad, and calypso and pan lovers everywhere have shed silent tears at the news and are now experiencing a deep sense of loss at his passing.
But when we're able to move beyond the shock and the grief and begin to look more closely at the effects of this singular life on our society, we will surely feel compelled to celebrate the man, the magic and the mystique that was Lord Kitchener.
Few, if any in our history have so clearly defined the "Trinbago Spirit" as has Lord Kitchener, Aldwyn Roberts, the youth from Arima who pursued his musical dreams with diligence and a devotion to his T&T heritage. Like anyone searching for a focus in life or for the fires to fuel that focus once it is found, Kitch seemed tireless in his quest even spending some early years away from home in England. But fortunately for us that quest brought him back to T&T and to the environment that first nurtured his basic talents. From that time on he devoted his energy, his creativity and his career to the evolution of a unique "Trinbago Spirit."
When we Trinbagonians beat our chests and proclaim to the world the greatness of our country and our society, what are the attributes we trumpet most? Foremost are our calypso, our pan, our carnival, our natural resources, our tolerance of one another's differences, our times of frenzied joy balanced by an essence of sober dignity and our perseverance against any odds to achieve our goals.
In the calypso arena, Lord Kitchener was probably the greatest exponent of the artform to date. Who else has been a more durable, more consistent or more prolific calypsonian? His performance style was direct, never dependent on props to deliver his message; his lyrics simple and as Trini as you can get yet appealing to any foreign ear; and his melodies without match in the realm of Caribbean music. In fact, very few composers worldwide have been able to deliver as many sweet melodies as Kitch. As for content, he never shunned any subject pertinent to T&T society. His devotion to propagating the artform and encouraging the careers of other calypsonians is well documented by the impact of his Calypso Revue Tent, which remained solid as a rock when others were crumbling all around him.
Pan, as we know, is the only new idea in musical instrumentation developed in the past century. This is a fact that we the people of T&T can always be proud of. Many of our people can be credited for their supreme efforts in the development and continued evolution of this unique instrument. We are blessed with brilliant tuners, arrangers and players struggling always to take our instrument to greater heights. But where in its development would the pan be if Kitch hadn't given us "The Bees Melody," "Symphony in G," "Rainorama," "Pan in A Minor," "Toco Band," "Barataria Sweet," etc., etc, etc. No matter where the pan may go, no matter in what forms of music it may take up residence, the very essence of this instrument will always be buried deep within the heart and soul of T&T's culture, heritage and rhythms, and no one can be credited more for this simple reality than Lord Kitchener.
All pan devotees, whether from T&T, or from "Ohi-Oho" (as we would say) were first drawn to this instrument by its rendition of our music and its ability to activate our rhythms somewhere deep beneath their bellies. No one has ever done more to marry this instrument to these rhythms than Kitch with his constant stream of compositions for the pan.
We are a festival loving people. We are always celebrating something, Christmas, Eid, Divali, Heritage, Borough, Hosay, Emancipation, Arrivals, Wakes, Weddings, Farewells. Lord it will take a full page to list them all!! We are always celebrating and always looking for more things to celebrate. But without doubt T&T's greatest festival is Carnival. And with all the wonderful aspects of carnival, the dazzling costumes, the brilliant colours, the magnificent bands, the calypso tents, the calypso monarch, the fetes, the panyard, panorama, the soca monarch, the chutney monarch, the stickfighters, the moko jumbies, etc., nothing signifies the backbone of our carnival more than the Road March. That one melody that sends mas people into a frenzy of ecstasy on Carnival days. And no one has so dominated the T&T Road March like Lord Kitchener. His music has in very significant ways guided the evolution of our carnival at home to becoming one of the worlds greatest festivals, and the eventual mushrooming of Trinidad style carnivals all over the world.
Yet the wild abandon his road marches instigated at carnival time stand in stark contrast to the sober dignity of the man himself, a true reflection of our T&T society, for despite our wining and jamming and mauve lange behavior when called for, we remain a conservative people deeply rooted in our religious, community and family values. From the way he dressed to the way he related to his family, his community, his associates and his fans he always seemed the epitome of dignity. Did Kitch smoke, drink, do drugs, cuss and get on, show disrespect or lack of consideration for others? I can't recall ever even hearing rumors or gossip about him. What a role model for our youth!! What a model for all of us!!
As our country was blessed in the region with a variety of natural resources that, while granting prosperity and a degree of independence, places on us a responsibility to do our part to enhance the lives of our neighbours and to contribute to the upliftment of the world community; so too was Kitch blessed with a great natural talent. I believe that he knew this. I believe that he recognized early on, probably during his years of exile in London, that how he used this gift would have an impact on how our country's image will be projected throughout the world. This, I believe, greatly influenced his attitude, his image and his music.
In this country which prides itself in tolerance amidst wide diversity, Kitchener never chose to exploit our differences. Differences in race, religion or ethnicity never seemed to play a part in his presentations. Keep in mind that one of his closest musical allies in recent years was Jit Samaroo, arranger for Amoco Renegades.
Finally, one's success must be judged by one's dedication and persistence and the ability to overcome obstacles. As one who stuttered when he spoke Kitch has to be admired for his ability to not have this natural impediment obstruct his chosen vocation. Another strong lesson!!
So Kitch, thank you!! Thanks for being a part of my awareness for as far back as I can remember. From "Trouble In Arima" to "Drink a Rum and a Punch a crema" to "Love in the Cemetery" to "Jericho" and "Toco Band" and now "Pan Birthday"; from since I was in ABC all through my school years and work years, throughout my travels, my marriage, my child bearing and child rearing, through all my successes and my short comings you and your music have been a major part of my awareness, always re-igniting in me a deep and abiding love for the land of my birth. For throughout our brief history, though many have, by their achievements, brought great pride to our beloved T&T, very few have so captured the essence of "The True Trinbago Spirit."
So good-bye friend. You'll always be in our hearts. Although, except for two brief chance meetings, I never had the pleasure of knowing the man, as a Trini I was always engulfed by the mystique, the magic and of course the music.
We at Pempaleh will like to suggest that a campaign be started to have the area of the Savannah which has been the nucleus of our carnival celebrations (the area including the stands, the great stage and the carnival village) be named for Lord Kitchener. No other person has had more influence over that particular plot of land. His music dominated "The Parade of Bands" and the Panorama competitions over the years.
KAMALO DEEN
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