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 PathΓ© 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"
London Is The Place For Me
Lord Kitchener Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
To live in London you are really comfortable
Because the English people are very much sociable
They take you here and they take you there
And they make you feel like a millionaire
London that's the place for me
At night when you have nothing to do
You can take a walk down Shaftesbury Avenue
There you will laugh and talk and enjoy the breeze
And admire the beautiful scenery
Of London that's the place for me
Yes, I cannot complain of the time I have spent
I mean my life in London is really magnificent
I have every comfort and every sport
And my residence is Hampton Court
So London, that's the place for me
The song London is the Place for Me by Lord Kitchener is a celebration of London and all the good things about living there. The lyrics express Kitchener's appreciation for the city, and his feelings of comfort and belonging there. The opening lines say "London this lovely city," immediately setting a positive tone for the rest of the song. Kitchener then goes on to say that while other cities might be interesting and exciting to visit, London is the place he wants to call home. He describes the English people as "very much sociable," suggesting that the city offers a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
The second verse highlights some of the specific things that make London a great place to live. Kitchener mentions the way people will take you out and show you the town, making you feel like a millionaire. This could be interpreted as a reference to the kindness and hospitality of Londoners, as well as the wealth of cultural and entertainment options in the city. The final verse references Shaftesbury Avenue, a famous street in the West End of London known for its theatre and nightlife. Kitchener suggests that even walking down this street at night can be a fun and enjoyable experience.
Overall, the song expresses Kitchener's love for London and his appreciation for all it has to offer. He seems genuinely happy and grateful to call the city his home.
Line by Line Meaning
London is the place for me
I have traveled the world, but I prefer London over any other place
London this lovely city
London is a beautiful city
You can go to France or America, India, Asia or Australia
There are many other countries to visit, but London is still the best
But you must come back to London city
After all your travels, you will always come back to London
Well believe me I am speaking broadmindedly
I am being honest and unbiased in my opinion
I am glad to know my Mother Country
I am happy to be back in my home country of England
I have been travelling to countries years ago
I have traveled to many countries in the past
But this is the place I wanted to know
But none have been as great as London, the place I wanted to experience the most
To live in London you are really comfortable
Living in London is very comfortable
Because the English people are very much sociable
The English people are very friendly
They take you here and they take you there
They are always willing to show you around
And they make you feel like a millionaire
They treat you so well, you feel like you have all the money in the world
At night when you have nothing to do
When you have free time at night
You can take a walk down Shaftesbury Avenue
You can walk down Shaftesbury Avenue
There you will laugh and talk and enjoy the breeze
You will have a good time, chatting and enjoying the fresh air
And admire the beautiful scenery
You can also appreciate the lovely views
Of London that's the place for me
All of these things make me believe that London really is the place for me
Yes, I cannot complain of the time I have spent
I have no regrets about the time I've spent in London
I mean my life in London is really magnificent
My life in London is truly wonderful
I have every comfort and every sport
I have access to all the luxuries and amenities I could want
And my residence is Hampton Court
Even my house in London (Hampton Court) is amazing
So London, that's the place for me
All of this adds up to make London the perfect place for me
Contributed by Camilla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@wanderreis
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
To live in London you are really comfortable
Because the English people are very much sociable
They take you here and they take you there
And they make you feel like a millionaire
London that's the place for me
At night when you have nothing to do
You can take a walk down Shaftesbury Avenue
There you will laugh and talk and enjoy the breeze
And admire the beautiful scenery
Of London that's the place for me
Yes, I cannot complain of the time I have spent
I mean my life in London is really magnificent
I have every comfort and every sport
And my residence is Hampton Court
So London, that's the place for me
@amandawallis5396
This was the closing song at my dad's funeral, he was born in cedros Trinidad and came to London where he met my mum, miss him 13/11/1942- 21/05/2019 had his funeral 21st June 2019
@JustinBenn
RIP and love to you. My father came from San Fernando in Trini' and met my mum in London (from POS). Father is very ill now, and was born in '41. Also served for a time in the Royal Air Force, of which he was proud. Hope your heart heals.
@amandawallis5396
I'm so sorry to hear about your father, I loved hearing about my dad's journeys to America, Oslo, Amsterdam, he was well travelled til he settled in London. Love and peace to you, your dad an family
@Luca-zg7rd
@@JustinBenn how is your father now?
@seaklengchhun8898
sorry for your loss.
@ThrowbackSoul
Big up the Windrush generation. Trailblazers! LORD KITCHENER legend.Β
@mabel8880
Rewatched Paddington on TV and this movie brought me here. I'm from Singapore (former Brit colony in southeast Asian) but I wish I was born a British citizen. (Proud to be of Asian blood but I think I'm better off being British.) Long live the UK! π¬π§π¬π§
@orcacharts4454
You too (:
@tee.milli0nsx275
Don't worry why I'm here...the teachers brought me here ;)
@aryaan3624
same