Aldwyn “Kitchener” Roberts April 18th, 2022 marks the centennial of Aldwyn “Kitchener” Roberts’ birth. The Grandmaster in the art of calypso, Kitchener’s music provides unique insights into Trinidadian culture. He was a griot, singing colorful tales about a colorful and complex society. In five verses, Kitch could reveal more about his birthplace than most journalists could reveal in five-thousand words. With thoughtful lyrics, arresting melodies and gorgeous harmonies, he became a pulse of the people, the voice of carnival, bending phrase after phrase. Dance rhythms are ever-present in Kitchener’s music, even when he's chronicling serious topics like the murder trial of Abdul Malik in “One to Hang.” The gentleman’s game gets a spirited bounce in “Cricket Champions”, his reading of the West Indies’ victory over England at Lord's in London. In 1971 he demands fair treatment for Trinidad and Tobago’s marginalized people in his uptempo cry, “...
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