Roberts was born in Arima, Trinidad, the son of a blacksmith, Stephen, and housewife, Albertha. He was educated at Arima boys' government school until he was 14, when his father died. His father had encouraged him to sing and learn to play the guitar, and he became a full-time musician. He won the Arima borough council's calypso competition four times between 1938 and 1942.
He moved to Port of Spain and had his first commercial success in 1942 with the calypso song "Green Fig" (also known as "Mary, I am Tired and Disgusted"). By 1945, he was known as Lord Kitchener. 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 improvised a short song titled "London is the Place to Be", which he sang live on a report for Pathé News
He found further success in the UK in the 1950s, building a large following in the expatriate communities of the West Indian islands. His fame continued throughout the 1950s, when calypso achieved international success. Kitchener became a very important figure to those first 5,000 West Indian migrants to the UK. His music[4] spoke of home and a life that they all longed for but in many cases couldn't or wouldn't return to. He immortalised the defining moment for many of the migrants in writing the Victory Calypso with its lyrics "Cricket, Lovely Cricket" to celebrate West Indies cricket team's first victory over England in England, in the 2nd Test at Lord's in June 1950. This was one of the first widely known West Indian songs, and epitomised an event that historian and cricket enthusiast C. L. R. James defined as crucial to West Indian post-colonial societies. The song, later recorded by Lord Beginner, is rarely credited to Lord Kitchener although Tony Cozier and many who attended the Test at The Oval can attest that it was a Kitch composition.[citation needed] In England, Kitchener started out working in London pubs. At first there were difficulties with English audiences who did not understand all the words, but that did not deter Kitch, and after the BBC gave him a chance to broadcast, he moved on to club bookings, and was soon performing in three clubs every night.
Kitchener returned to Trinidad in 1962. He and the Mighty Sparrow proceeded to dominate the calypso competitions of the sixties and seventies. Lord Kitchener won the road march competition ten times between 1965 and 1976, more times than any other calypsonian. For 30 years, Kitchener ran his own calypso tent, Calypso Revue, within which he nurtured the talent of many calypsonians. Calypso Rose, David Rudder, Black Stalin and Denyse Plummer are among the many artists who got their start under Kitchener's tutelage. Later he moved towards soca, a related style, and continued recording until his death. Kitchener's compositions were enormously popular as the chosen selections for steel bands to perform at the annual National Panorama competition during Trinidad Carnival. He recorded his most commercially successful song, "Sugar Bum Bum" in 1978. He retired in 1999.
It was always important to Kitchener throughout his career to gain new experiences that could be woven into his material. This led him to performances in Curaçao, Aruba and Jamaica in the early days, and finally to London, when he was already flying high in Trinidad. Kitchener once said: "I have reached the height of my popularity in Trinidad. What am I doing here? I should make a move."
Kitchener, who created highly popular and sweet melodies, is honoured with a statue in Port of Spain. A bust is also on display on Hollis Avenue, Arima, not far from the Arima Stadium.
In 1952, he met his wife Elsie Lines. They married in 1953, and lived for a period in Manchester where Kitchener ran a nightclub. They divorced in 1968. He later married and had four children (Christian, Kernal, Quweina and Kirnister Roberts) with Valarie Green, and also had a relationship with Betsy Pollard.
He died of a blood infection and kidney failure at the Mount Hope Hospital in Port of Spain. He is buried in the Santa Rosa Cemetery in Arima.
Kitchener's son, Kernal Roberts, is also a performer, playing drums for the biggest soca band in the country, Xtatik. He is also their musical director and composer of multiple Soca Monarch and Road March titles. He is noted as being a prolific musical composer and song writer.
Merits
Winner of Carnival Road March with:
1946 "Jump in Line"
1963 "The Road"
1964 "Mama dis is Mas"
1965 "My Pussin'"
1967 "Sixty Seven"
1968 "Miss Tourist"
1970 "Margie"
1971 "Mas in Madison Square Garden"
1973 "Rainorama"
1975 "Tribute to Spree Simon"
1976 "Flag Woman"
Winner of Calypso Monarch with:
1975 "Tribute to Spree Simon" and "Fever"
Chinese Never Had a VJ Day
Lord Kitchener Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The 10th of October
Just try and remember
The 10th of October
Some kind of Chinese memorial
Ending revelry on the Carnival
Townpeople got afraid
With the Chinee people there down to Port of Spain
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Lao pongtang ee ay, Chinee never had a VJ Day
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Lao pongtang ee ay...
Sleeping in me cachop
In a dream I hearing a echo
Poor Kitchener sleeping
But the Chinee have me bazodee
I jump off me bed when I feeling ill
I bounce off a bassa nose in your street
And then I get to laugh
I find myself in the arms of a Chinee crowd
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Lao pongtang ee ay, Chinee never had a VJ Day
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Lao pongtang ee ay...
This I want to mention
A joke with a Chinee lion
Big men frighten like fire
Thinking there's a true lion come from China
Just when a mistaken lion groan
Jump on the case of a saxophone
People got misled:
It was a Chinee playing Mas in a lion head
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Lao pongtang ee ay, Chinee never had a VJ Day
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Lao pongtang ee ay...
This was disagreeable,
I can't understand we people
The boys cry how they hungry,
The Chinee decide to take off a chinkee
As soon as the waitress bring de dish
The guy have missed me a slice of fish
I didn't forget to hide
They make a real black Chinee go outside
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Lao pongtang ee ay, Chinee never had a VJ Day
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Lao pongtang ee ay...
Lord Kitchener's "Chinese Never Had a VJ Day" is a calypso song that highlights the mistreatment and discrimination experienced by the Chinese community in Trinidad and Tobago. The song is a critique of the celebration of Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) in Trinidad and Tobago, which overlooked the contributions of the Chinese community to the war effort. The song's catchy refrain, "Lao pongtang ee ay, Chinee never had a VJ Day," emphasizes the fact that the Chinese community was not recognized or celebrated during the VJ Day celebrations.
The first verse of the song describes a Chinese memorial that was held during the Carnival season, but which ended in terror when the town people became afraid of the Chinese people in attendance. The second verse talks about Lord Kitchener's dream of the Chinese taking over his consciousness, and his encounter with a Chinese crowd. The third verse is about a case of mistaken identity, where people thought a Chinese lion was a real lion and were afraid until they discovered that it was actually a Chinese man in a costume. The final verse is about the mistreatment of a Chinese waiter and the exclusion of a "black Chinee" from a restaurant.
Lord Kitchener's "Chinese Never Had a VJ Day" was not without controversy. At the time of its release, some critics argued that the song was racist and inflammatory. However, supporters argued that the song exposed the widespread discrimination faced by the Chinese community in Trinidad and Tobago. The song also served as a call to action, demanding that the Chinese community be recognized for their contributions to the war effort.
Line by Line Meaning
Try and remember
Recall this event
The 10th of October
Specific date to remember
Just try and remember
Emphasize the importance of not forgetting
The 10th of October
Recall this specific date
Some kind of Chinese memorial
A commemoration related to China
Ending revelry on the Carnival
Bringing festivities to a close during Carnival
Townpeople got afraid
The locals became scared
With the Chinee people there down to Port of Spain
Chinese people present in Port of Spain
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Repeating phrase in Chinese and English
Lao pongtang ee ay, Chinee never had a VJ Day
Chinese never celebrated a Victory in Japan Day
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Repeating phrase in Chinese and English
Lao pongtang ee ay...
Repeating phrase in Chinese
Sleeping in me cachop
Sleeping in my bed
In a dream I hearing a echo
Hearing echoes in a dream
Poor Kitchener sleeping
Kitchener is sleeping
But the Chinee have me bazodee
Chinese people have me confused
I jump off me bed when I feeling ill
Jumping out of bed when feeling sick
I bounce off a bassa nose in your street
Bumping into someone in the street
And then I get to laugh
Finding the situation amusing
I find myself in the arms of a Chinee crowd
Being surrounded by a crowd of Chinese people
This I want to mention
Bringing something up to discuss
A joke with a Chinee lion
A humorous interaction with a Chinese lion
Big men frighten like fire
Grown men are scared
Thinking there's a true lion come from China
Believing there is a real lion from China
Just when a mistaken lion groan
The supposed lion made a noise
Jump on the case of a saxophone
Jumping on a saxophone case
People got misled:
The people were deceived
It was a Chinee playing Mas in a lion head
Chinese person playing Mas in a lion costume
This was disagreeable,
This was unpleasant
I can't understand we people
The singer does not comprehend their own people
The boys cry how they hungry,
Boys complaining of hunger
The Chinee decide to take off a chinkee
The Chinese man decides to take away a dish
As soon as the waitress bring de dish
Once the waitress brings the food
The guy have missed me a slice of fish
Someone did not receive a piece of fish
I didn't forget to hide
I made sure to conceal myself
They make a real black Chinee go outside
A black person of Chinese descent was forced to leave
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Repeating phrase in Chinese and English
Lao pongtang ee ay, Chinee never had a VJ Day
Chinese never celebrated a Victory in Japan Day
Lao pongtang ee ay, Lai Fook Lee lousy-ay
Repeating phrase in Chinese and English
Lao pongtang ee ay...
Repeating phrase in Chinese
Contributed by Jeremiah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kdewconcepts@yahoo.com
on Love In the Cemetery
Very good interpretation of this classic. Lord Kitchener had a way of putting things across. He took a simple encounter with a woman and made it so interesting. If he played that game of cards with that ghost and lost, well, that would've been the end of him. At the end he was still comforted by a dead man. But what became of the woman?
Slow.dog
on Redhead
This argument I have daily, the blonde and the brunette lady
This argument I have daily, the blonde and the brunette lady
Speaking candidly, they don’t interest me
You can take your blonde and brunette away and give me the redhead girl every day
So it is the redhead, redhead, ohhh that is what I said
Just give me the redhead, redhead, I must catch a redhead before I dead
I travel to many countries and study the three young ladies
The blonde is merely false beauty, the whole world can see it plainly
They keep their hair dyed, using peroxide
So I don’t care what the people say, I rather the redhead girl everyday
So it is the redhead, redhead, ohhh that is what I said
Just give me the redhead, redhead, I must catch a redhead before I dead
The brunette is plenty trouble, to fathom them is a puzzle
Today they are dark as ever, tomorrow they become ginger
It is critical, too artificial, so don’t be mad when you hear me say
I’d rather the redhead girl every day
So it is the redhead, redhead, ohhh that is what I said
Just give me the redhead, redhead, I must catch a redhead before I dead
To speak of the redhaired lady, a woman of natural beauty
She keeps to that natural passion, no changes to cause attraction
She appeals to me, through simplicity
If it’s the last thing I got to say, I need the readhead girl everyday
So it is the redhead, redhead, ohhh that is what I said
Just give me the redhead, redhead, I must catch a redhead before I dead
Anne Fridal
on Steel Band Music
i really need to get the lyrics to steelband music for my kitchener tribute at movietowne coming soon also when a man is poor and ole lady walkj a mile and she taylalay