Apology

I haven't been entering anything into this blog lately, and I'm not likely to do anything in the near future. I'll keep the blog open in case I get inspired.

Christmas 2012

We didn't go to the festival this year--Sally had health problems and I didn't have the energy. Now we are down in St. Vincent. I occasionally put stuff on the main SVG blog, but not often. We're getting old

Going North

With a little luck we'll attend the New Bedford Festival. The initial publicity is on the internet and when we get back to Berkley I'll add a reference. I may not take any photos--i'm in my 80s now and I don't have as much energy, even for writing,

Summerfest 2011

We went to saturday's program for a while: I'm in my 80's now and Sally in her 70's and we don't have the endurance we used to have back when the Eisteddfod was at SMU. However, we enjoyed the sets by David Jones and Martha Burns. I took some pictures that I'll put on Flickr, and probably put the better ones here as well. But not tonight.

Last Set

The last performance of the last set of Summerfest 2010

New Bedford Summerfest

The Summerfest has a facebook page with a good video provided by the Quincy Patriot Ledger. The Karlek page in Flickr (mine) has some Summerfest stills and some stills (by me) of the Whalers. My SVG blog at http://svgblog.blogspot.com has photos (by others) at various venues.

I may well be working on a book about the Whalers when we get back to SVG in the fall.

Barrouallie Whalers in New England

The Barrouallie Whalers
Authentic Whalers and Shantymen from St. Vincent & the Grenadines June 2010 Appearances in New England

• June 10 Whaling National Historical Park – New Bedford, MA
Visitor Center on Williams St. 7:00 PM www.ahanewbedford.org

• June 11-13 • Mystic Seaport Museum, CT www.mysticseaport.org

• June 15 •Sylvester Manor Farm (unconfirmed) Long Island, NY

• June 16 Schooner Quinnipiack - New Haven, CT 7:00 pm www.schoonerinc.org

• June 17 Hibernian Hall, Roxbury, MA 8:00 pm www.madison-park.org




Dan Lanier The Barrouallie Whalers Project, Inc. dan@barrwhalers.org

Sorry, But I'm Still Alive

I haven been posting anything here lately, but I have been posting in nthe SVG Blog and doing some non-musical writing. Right now I have a bunch of mp3s in various traditions that are all on HDs that I have here in St Vincent. I'm spending my music time trying to make sense of them. Power Tunes lets one control multiple music libraries and I'm learning how to use that. But I've got so many mp3s, some with the same tune under different titles, that it is taking time.

But I'll get back to this blog eventually. In the meantime there are some things reprinted from Ceildh Columns, the publication of the SMU (U Mass Dartmouth) Eisteddfod that I edited for Howard Glasser. That may still be of some interest.

"Doctors" In Calypso

This is the kind of event that should be record live and streamed on the Internet!
Wilma

--- On Fri, 10/9/09, Clevil James wrote:

From: Clevil James
Subject: [Limers] TUCO to honour Calypso's Doctors
To: limers@yahoogroups.com
Received: Friday, October 9, 2009, 5:17 PM


http://news. bn.gs/article. php?story= 2009100915584937 0
 
Friday, October 09 2009 @ 06:00 PM AST
Contributed by: LieslThomas
More: 52

“Celebrating the Doctors in Calypso” is set to take place at Queen’s Hall, St Ann ’s from 6:30 pm on Monday, October 19, 2009. The event is being produced by TUCO to honour the Doctors of the Calypso fraternity:

- Dr. Slinger Francisco ‘Sparrow’

- Dr. Hollis Liverpool ‘Chalkdust’; and 

- Dr. Leroy Calliste ‘Black Stalin.’



Dr. Slinger Francisco, ‘The Mighty Sparrow’ or ‘Sparrow’ as he is affectionately called, was born in Grenada on July 9, 1935 and moved to Trinidad as a toddler where he launched and sustained a lengthy and successful career as a calypsonian. Sparrow began performing on major competitive circuits from the 1950s and continued into the 1990s. During this time he won several Calypso Monarch and Carnival Road March titles. 

Probably his most notable win occurred in 1956 for the song ‘Jean and Dinah’; claiming both the Calypso Monarch and Road March titles that year. Sparrow’s lyrics are known for being witty. His songs have touched on several subject areas to give him the term social commentator, his music has made the masses dance and sing in unison so that he can be called a renowned entertainer, and his contributions to calypso and culture have touched the shores of so many nations, making him an ambassador extraordinaire. Dr. Slinger Francisco is truly a calypso icon.



Dr. Hollis Liverpool, ‘Chalkdust’ was born in Trinidad in 1941. His music generally addresses the social and political issues of society and the lyrical content of his songs is hailed for having a high quality literary content. He was once a principal at Trinity College and is currently an Assistant Professor of History in the University of the Virgin Islands . He holds a PhD in History and Ethnomusicology from the University of Michigan . Chalkdust regularly conducts lectures and workshops on the history and culture of calypso music. He is even going to be lecturing on “Smut in Calypso” on October 20, 2009 at the Nalis Audiovisual Room from 7:00 pm. 

Chalkdust has been singing calypso since 1967 and has captured eight Calypso Monarch Crowns beginning from 1976 with the songs ‘Three Blind Mice’ and ‘Ah Put on Meh Guns Again’ to his most recent win in 2009 with the song ‘Doh Touch My Heart.’ He has won numerous titles in countries outside of Trinidad and Tobago as well. For his exceptional contributions to calypso music on both academic and entertainment levels, Dr. Hollis Liverpool is a calypso icon.



Dr. Leroy Calliste, the “Black Stalin” was born in San Fernando , Trinidad and Tobago on September 4, 1941. He is the most recent inductee, having received his honorary doctorate on October 31, 2008. He was also awarded the Hummingbird Medal Silver for his outstanding contributions to culture. Black Stalin is a five time Calypso Monarch title holder, wining with notable hits like ‘Caribbean Unity,’ ‘Wait Dorothy,’ 'Look on the Bright Side’ and 'Black man feeling to party.' Black Stalin’s music and entertainment persona generally exudes a feeling of optimism, fun and happiness. Dr. Leroy Calliste will forever be a calypso icon.



The event “Celebrating the Doctors in Calypso” will feature performances by younger calypsonians, such as Heather Mackintosh, Karen Asche, Jervae Caesar, Erphann Alves and Kizzie Ruiz, who will be singing the songs of these calypso icons. At least three selections from each of the icons will be sung by a younger member of the calypso fraternity in their honour. 



------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
CREDITS:

- Story by Liesl Thomas

- Photo of TUCO President Eric Taylor by GISL

Pint & Dale Concert at Woods Hole

Since July, we've been singing and playing our way across the continent, venturing up as far as Canada's Maritime Provinces, traveling down the coast, and exploring the beautiful Chesapeake Bay area. It's been a tremendously fun trip.

Our east coast tour continues with a trip back up to Massachusetts for a concert at one of our favorite places to play. It's hard to imagine a setting more perfect for songs of the sea.

Woods Hole is a beautiful spot steeped in the history of whaling, fishing and shipping -- all stuff we love to sing about!

We'd love to see you at this one. We'd also love for you to pass the word along to any friends or family who might be in the area.

Sunday, October 4th

The Woods Hole Folk Music Society
Concert at the Community Hall

68 Water Street
Woods Hole, MA 02543
508-540-0320
Map

7:30PM
Tickets $15.00

Tucott Website

http://www.tucott.com/news.html

Is the website of Trinidadian calypsonians and has a lot of interesting information

Howard Glasser Archive

Howard Glasser




Posted in Howard T. Glasser Archives of Folk Music and Letter Arts by jfarrar1895 on June 18, 2009

On June 17, Howard Glasser toured the new Archives and Special Collections facility and met with archivist Judy Farrar regarding next steps in planning for the future growth of the Howard T. Glasser Archives of Folk Music and Letter Arts. Established in 2003, the mission of the Howard T. Glasser Archives of Folk Music and Letter Arts is to preserve the artistic and musical collecting legacy of retired design professor Howard T. Glasser. The initial donation, digital copies of his Scottish recordings, many original Eisteddfod recordings, and programs and flyers from the Carnegie and URI ceildhs, forms the core of the collection. The Howard T. Glasser Archives Fund was established the following year to help maintain these fragile materials, many of which reside on ageing magnetic reel to reel recording tapes. To date, the fund has enabled staff to pay for digital conversion of a related collection, the recordings of Paul Clayton, and a selection of the Eisteddfod recordings. The fund will also be used to begin conversion of the Tryworks concert recordings.

The archivist welcomes suggestions for donations of potentially important historic material to the collection from folk song groups, coffeehouses and other folk music venues, collectors, artists and musicians to document the folk music “scene” in New England. Contact Judy Farrar via email at jfarrar@umassd.edu.

Tryworks Archive

Tryworks Coffeehouse Memorabilia Donated to Howard T. Glasser Archives of Folk Music and Letter Arts

Posted in Howard T. Glasser Archives of Folk Music and Letter Arts, Uncategorized by jfarrar1895 on June 12, 2009
On June 5th the Archives and Special Collections received the records of Tryworks Coffeehouse through former managers Maggi Peirce and Jody Heck. Many boxes were neatly packed and ready to go at the First Unitarian Church in New Bedford, the home of Tryworks since it moved from the Pilgrim United Church. Tryworks was in operation from 1967 to 2002 and was a popular venue for young people and budding musicians and poets. Coffeehouses were popular during the 1960s revival of folk music and remained relevant for many years. Tryworks was the second-oldest continuously-running coffeehouse in the country before it closed in 2002. The collection includes recordings, photographs, scrapbooks, programs, and flyers. The Tryworks archives will be part of the Howard T. Glasser Archives of Folk Music and Letter Arts. Read the article in the Standard Times at http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090606/NEWS/906060329

Sandy Paton RIP

From The Folk-Legacy Site

In memory of Charles Alexander (Sandy) Paton, who passed from this life,
July 26, 2009 at 6:32 pm, at the age of 80




Folk-Legacy Records founder Sandy Paton passed away on Sunday July 26 around 6:30pm. He had been hospitalized the last few days after becoming extremely fatigued. Sandy had been in poor health in recent years, suffering from emphysema which required that he was constantly connected to oxygen. About a month ago, Sandy & Caroline’s grandson died tragically – drowning in a river in Connecticut. Friends have said that Sandy took the loss extremely hard.

Sandy, with his wife Caroline and the late Lee Haggerty, founded Folk-Legacy Records as an independent recording company specializing in traditional and contemporary folk music of the English-speaking world in 1961. Over the 48 years Folk-Legacy has existed, they have produced over 120 recordings with Sandy doing the actual recording and taking cover photographs.

Sandy was a terrific singer in his own right, as well. He and Caroline were designated as the Official Connecticut State Troubadours for 1993-1994.

Sing Out! editor Mark Moss adds: “In a world where meeting your “idols” rarely works out very well, Sandy Paton was an inspiration. His love, dedication and vision for traditional music was unwavering … but he was never strident, pushy or rude about his impressive knowledge. This was a guy who was all about loving the music and wanting to share his love for the songs and singers. And each Folk-Legacy release exuded that passion. Once I “met” my first Folk-Legacy release (the original Golden Ring recording), I was hooked … and am proud to own almost every release from the label. Hardly “hi tech,” but the music Sandy captured, made and shared was the real thing in the truest sense of the words. It was an honor to have known him. My heart was already breaking for the family (after the loss of his grandson Kaelan in June) … I can’t imagine the pain the family is feeling now. A sad, sad day.”

Memorial service Oct 10. Check the Folk-Legacy site for details

Mike Seeger= NYTimes Obit

Mike Seeger, Singer and Music Historian, Dies at 75
By BEN SISARIO

Mike Seeger, a singer and multi-instrumentalist who played an important role in the folk revival of the 1950s and ’60s, died on Friday at his home in Lexington, Va. He was 75.

The cause was multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, said his wife, Alexia Smith.

Although a quieter voice on the national stage than his politically outspoken, older half-brother, Pete, Mike Seeger was a significant force in spreading the music of preindustrial America during an increasingly consumerist era. In 1958 he helped found the New Lost City Ramblers, whose repertory came from the 1920s and ’30s, and in his career he recorded or produced dozens of albums of what he called the “true vine” of American music, the mix of British and African traditions and topical storytelling that took root in the South.

Mr. Seeger’s dedication had a strong effect on the young Bob Dylan, who wrote fondly of him in his 2004 memoir, “Chronicles: Volume One.” Although only eight years his junior, Mr. Dylan called Mr. Seeger a father figure — for helping the under-age Mr. Dylan with his paperwork — and rhapsodized about him as the embodiment of a folk-star persona.

“Mike was unprecedented,” Mr. Dylan wrote, adding: “As for being a folk musician, he was the supreme archetype. He could push a stake through Dracula’s black heart. He was the romantic, egalitarian and revolutionary type all at once.”

But Mr. Seeger made his mark less as a star than as a careful, steady student of his beloved Southern music. He was born in New York to a prominent musical family. His father, Charles Seeger, was a well-known ethnomusicologist, and his mother, Ruth Crawford Seeger, a composer and folk-song collector. Besides Pete, Mr. Seeger’s sister Peggy also became a noted singer.

The intellectual pursuit of folk music was part of Mike Seeger’s life from an early age. At 5 he made a recording of the old British folk ballad “Barbara Allen,” his wife said in an interview on Sunday.

Mr. Seeger played banjo, guitar, autoharp and other instruments, which he learned from old records and in some cases from the musicians who played on them. A dogged researcher, he sought out musicians who had been lost for decades and introduced them to an eager (and young) new audience. One was Dock Boggs, a banjo player from western Virginia whose records were prized by folklorists. Mr. Seeger brought him to the American Folk Festival in Asheville, N.C., in 1963.

Mr. Seeger’s most recent album was “Early Southern Guitar Sounds” (Smithsonian Folkways), in 2007, and he played autoharp on Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s Grammy Award-winning album “Raising Sand” (Rounder), also released in 2007. In his career Mr. Seeger was nominated for six Grammys.

In addition to his wife, his half-brother Pete, of Beacon, N.Y., and his sister Peggy, of Boston, Mr. Seeger is survived by three sons, Kim, of Tivoli, N.Y., Chris, of Rockville Centre, N.Y., and Jeremy, of Belmont, Mass.; four stepchildren, Cory Foster of Ithaca, N.Y., Jenny Foster of Rockville, Md., Joel Foster of Silver Spring, Md., and Jesse Foster of Washington; another sister, Barbara Perfect of Henderson, Nev.; another half-brother, John Seeger of Bridgewater, Conn.; and 13 grandchildren and step-grandchildren.

Home

Mike Seeger R.I.P.

Mike Seeger and Alexia Smith

Folk Musician And Traditional Roots Music Preservationist Mike Seeger Dies
Battle With Cancer Ended Friday Evening, August 7th
By Patte Wood
Staff Reporter

Lexington, VA (August 8, 2009) - Alexia Smith, wife of folklorist and roots music preservationist Mike Seeger, has informed the Rockbridge Community that Mike died peacefully at his home on Enfield Road the evening of August 7th about 9 p.m. Seeger was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and decided to forego further treatment and entered hospice care. He was surrounded by family and friends during his last days as he wished. Seeger was 75 years old. According to the family, further information about arrangements will be forthcoming on Monday, August 10th.

Seeger contributed his musical talent and knowledge of Southern traditional roots music to the community in Rockbridge since moving here about 20 years ago. Throughout his career and while living in Rockbridge he pursued many projects to preserve traditional southern roots music and dance. Most notable are his recordings of roots music for the Smithsonian with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Locally, he was the main impetus in the creation The Rockbridge Mountain Music and Dance Festival, a music festival by and for musicians in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, in Rockbridge Countyin 1986 and encouraged Bruce Clark to found Clark's Ole Time Music Center, also in Rockbridge County. Seeger also performed locally at festivals and events, sharing his talent and knowledge of Southern roots music with the community.

Word about his death has quickly spread throughout the bluegrass and roots music community and been posted on various roots and bluegrass music websites. A compilation of his recordings and achievements can be found on the NPR website at www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111693752.

The following obituary, written by Bob Cherry on August 8, 2009, is from CYBERGRASS The Internet Bluegrass Music News Magazine ww.cybergrass.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6622:

"Mike Seeger lost his battle with cancer last night, August 7, 2009. Back on Thursday, July 30, Mary Katherine Adlin at Folklore Productions informed us that Mike Seeger, one of the founding members of the New Lost City Ramblers, and the half-brother of folk singer Pete Seeger, had been battling leukemia for several years; just recently he was diagnosed with a new and very aggressive form of cancer, called multiple myeloma. In the same forthright way that he has lived his life, he made the decision to discontinue treatment and enter hospice care. Last night, August 7, his battle ended. Mike died in hospice care at his home in Virginia, surrounded by the loving care of his wife, his sons and his sister. He was at peace and not in pain.

"Just a few days ago, we wrote about The New Lost City Ramblers DVD video. This is sad news to follow that happy release announcement. Mike Seeger and The New Lost City Ramblers captured the essence of old music from early 78 records and spend decades performing the traditional music in the traditional way thus preserving it for many generations.

"During the '60s folk movement, Seeger and the New Lost City Ramblers were one of the most influential bands going. Scores of new bands picked up on what they were doing and pushed the music into the public's eye. Seeger was both a musician and a historian devoted to preserving the music he loved.

"Seeger was a folk musician who was also accomplished on multiple instruments. He performed playing the fiddle, banjo, mandolin, dobro, and other instruments. Seeger's love for the old time music resulted in a half dozen Grammy® nominations, four NEA grants and numerous other awards.

"Just as he set his own path musically, he chose his own path for his final journey as well. May God be with him.

"Mike is survived by his wife Alexia. Condolences may be sent to:

Folklore Productions

1671 Appian Way

Santa Monica, CA 90401

mkaldin@foldoreproductions.com"

A performance by Mike Seeger at The Kennedy Center can be seen at www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=SEEGERMIKE

Further information will be forthcoming in The Rockbridge Weekly as it becomes available.

Rockbridge Weekly & Alleghany Journal Newsline (9 August 2009)
http://www.rockbridgeweekly.com/rw_article.php?ndx=14875
http://snipurl.com/pir6f

Sandy Paton=RIP

Email from Howard Glasser

HTG Archive -- Judy --

Sandy and Carolyn Paton -- (FOLK Legacy Records)
Were - for many years - invited by me to be advisors as well as performers
to the SMU/UMASS Dartmouth Traditional Arts Festival --
Their contribution to our project was huge --
Our Archive should note this loss -- Sandy was a folklorist --
Collector of the finest of the old traditions --
Producer of commercial recordings of these surviving artists --
As well as, producer of recordings of the new generations of, like thinking, artists --
Sandy and Caroline Paton received the Annual Eisteddfod Award
for their encouragement and support of artists continuing aspects of our heritage --
and for their preservation achievements.
Howard Glasser


Subject: RE: Obit: Sandy Paton
From: bbc - PM
Date: 27 Jul 09 - 09:05 AM

Good morning, folks,

We suspected that the news would filter out from Pinewoods first, since
Sandy's granddaughter, Linnea, is working there this summer. Yesterday
marked 40 days since Sandy & Caroline's grandson, Kaelan, drowned. Sandy had
been deeply grieving, since that time. We had all been concerned about him,
but it was unclear how much of his condition was emotional & how much was
physical. Last week, with Kaelan's memorial & the burial of his remains
past, Caroline felt that Sandy needed to see his doctor. I drove the two of
them to the office on Thursday afternoon, July 23rd. Sandy was unusually
fatigued & was having wide variations in his blood oxygen with any activity.
As soon as he saw him, Sandy's doctor called for an ambulance to take his to
nearby Sharon Hospital (Sharon, CT) for observation. Sandy was checked into
a room, after being observed in Emergency, & Caroline was told they'd like
to keep Sandy for a few days. If I am remembering correctly what Caroline
told me, the hospital called Saturday evening & said that Sandy wasn't doing
well & they didn't know if he'd make it through the night. The family was
able to go to the hospital that evening & spend time with Sandy. During the
night, Saturday, he lost consciousness. During the day, on Sunday, family
was in & out. Duane & I visited for a couple of hours in the early afternoon
& said our goodbyes. When we returned for a second visit at about 7 pm, not
wanting Sandy to be alone, his sister-in-law, Linda, gave us the news that
he had passed from this life about a half hour earlier, at 6:32 pm on
Sunday, July 26, 2009. We waited for Caroline to come & stayed with the
family until they left. Sandy died peacefully, with no heroics, just lightly
breathing until he drew his last breath. The cause will probably be listed
as congestive heart failure. My first thought, when I heard that he was
gone, was happiness for him. In recent times, his life had become more &
more of a burden to him. Because of his emphysema, he had to be connected to
oxygen all the time. His movements & activities were limited. Changes in his
voice meant that he was no longer able to sing &, sometimes, even to make
himself easily heard. He was broken-hearted over Kaelan's death. I feel sure
that Sandy was content to leave.

Now, we pick up the pieces of life without him. Caroline has her two sons &
her sister, all of whom live locally. She, also, has Duane & me. Together,
we will be giving personal support & helping to get Folk Legacy onto a new
chapter. Your support is needed. Although I have more that I'd like to say,
I'll end this, for now, to give you the basic information. Since phone is
the only way Caroline can conduct business, I might suggest that you send
condolences by mail, for now, to give us time to get up-to-date on the
backlog of orders, due to Kaelan's death & Sandy's health. As is the family
custom, Sandy's passing will be marked by a memorial gathering at some time
in the future. Sing your songs for him, folks! A great man has passed.


http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=122507&messages=44

Launcelot "Da Vincy" Chapman

I ran across this while surfing.

Lancelot "Da Vincy" Chapman has been making music in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for quite a while and has to his credit two stints on record at the Mustique Blues Festival.

He has his own recording label and a 45rpm solo effort.

He has never been fortunate in the Island's Calypso Competition, still he has been part of that scene for a number of years and has been the Calypsonians Association Public Relations Officer and also the Associations Sectetary.? He plays Guitar, Mandolin, Piano, and at present he is engaged in pursuit of proficiency with the Saxaphone.

Flying Fish & Coo Coo

Mommie Out The Light

.
Per a request, listen to Marie Bryant singing "Mommie Out The Light"

Mommie Out The Light

Lord Kitchener [Aldwyn Roberts]

Born April 18, 1922 in Arima, Trinidad. He was the son of a blacksmith, Stephen, and homemaker, Albertha. He attended the Arima Boys' Government School. Lord Kitchener began singing professionally in 1938 and won the Arima Calypso King contest from 1938 to 1941. His first job as a singer was in 1936, when he was hired to serenade the employees of the Water Works. He got his first break in 1937 while he was performing in an old time bamboo calypso tent in Arima.

He left for Port-of-Spain in 1942 and joined the Roving Brigade which operated from the various cinemas in Trinidad. He moved over to the Victory Tent in 1944. He joined the House of Lords Tent in 1945 but returned to the Victory Tent in 1946. By 1947, he had achieved enough success to open his own calypso tent, The Young Brigade.

He left Trinidad in 1947 and, after short stays in Aruba and Jamaica, moved to England in June 1948. He continued his success as a calypsonian for almost 15 years before he returned to Trinidad for Carnival 1963. After a brief return to England in 1965, he remained in Trinidad for the rest of his years. He won one Calypso Crown in 1975 with "Tribute to Spree Simon" and "Fever."

Kitchener began performing calypsos in the Trinidadian town of Arima in the late 1930s. By the 1940s, he was appearing in Port of Spain. In 1946 he helped to organize the Young Brigade tent, which featured a new generation of calypso singers, and was applauded for his calypso "Tie Tongue Mopsy." After the 1947 Carnival season, Kitchener traveled to Aruba, Curacao and Jamaica. In 1948 he left Jamaica on the Empire Windrush, a ship that marked the beginning of large-scale Caribbean migration to Britain. Kitchener remained in England, where he had an active career that included extensive recording for the Parlophone, Melodisc and Lyragon labels. His records were exported in large quantities to the Caribbean, where he remained popular. Some of his records were also popular in West Africa.


"Kitch" became a very important figure to those first 5000 West Indian migrants to the UK. His music spoke of home and a life that they all longed for but in many cases couldn't or wouldn't return to. On June 29, 1950, he immortalised the defining moment for many of the migrants in writing 'Cricket, Lovely Cricket.' 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.


Kitchener, who created highly-popular and sweet melodies, is honoured with a statue in Port of Spain. He is buried in the Santa Rosa Cemetery in Arima. A bust of the beloved entertainer is also on display on Hollis Avenue, Arima, not far from the Arima Stadium.
Kitch has composed calypsoes that cover every imaginable human experience, and social and political events. Kitch is a brilliant expressionist. On stage, his gestures, innuendoes, his control of voice and his capability to paint a picture with his voice clear enough for the very last person in the audience to "see," and understand, what Kitch is talking about, has made him one of the great personalities in the highly competitive business of authentic calypso singing. Dr. Hollis Liverpool, Calypsonian Chalkdust, once observed that "one of Kitchener's many strengths is his ability to present clean smut' in a way that even a priest would want to listen."

The best way, but certainly not the only way, to appreciate Kitchener's talents is to visit the Calypso Revue, also known as Kitchener's Tent and watch Kitch and the other calypsonians perform.The Calypso Revue is no ordinary calypso tent. It was opened in 1964 at the Strand Cinema by Leslie ucky-Samaroo, a movie house proprietor. In its first year, the Calypso Revue had a brilliant cast. It produced four Calypso Monarch finalists - Kitch, Nap Hepburn, Bomber, and Blakie. Kitch won the Road March, and Bomber won the crown. The tent also had a good season in 1965. It produced Sniper, who won the Calypso Monarch title with "Portrait of Trinidad." (The tune earned Sniper the honor of having his photograph on a T&T postage stamp). But following a disagreement with Samaroo, Kitch left the Calypso Revue, and signed on with Sparrow's Original Young Brigade, only to break that contract and return to England.

Over the years, the Calypso Revue has been located in several venues in Port of Spain. In 1966, the cast performed at the Caravan, Brother Superior's tent. In 1967, Calypso Revue was reorganized with Kitch as the lead calypsonian, under Lord Melody's management, and was housed at The Legion Hall, just south of what is now known as Lara Promenade on Independence Square. Melody left the tent after the 1968 season, and the management of the tent was taken over by Jazzy Pantin and his assistant Sonny Woodley. They are still in charge today. Except for a strike by Revue calypsonians in 1970, the year of Black Power revolution in T&T;, the Revue has been described as a tent characterized by a family atmosphere. Other venues used by the Revue over the years are The Princes Building on Upper Frederick Street, the NUGFW building, a union hall on Henry Street located across the street from the Spektakular Forum, another Calypso Tent, and currently at what for many years was the venue for Sparrow's Original Young Brigade, the SWWTU Hall, on Wrightson Road. Kitchener's Tent has to be the longest running Calypso Tent (in the world?).

The tent has been credited with grooming several young calypsonians who have since moved to greater heights, such as Composer, Explainer, Iwer George, Merchant, Organizer, Penguin, Relator, Scrunter, Sniper, Stalin, Valentino. At the Revue, musical tutelage is seen as the duty of Lord Kitchener. He has been known to assist young calypsonians in composing their music, writing their lyrics, giving an opinion here, adding a chorus there, teaching them how to render a song, or, if they couldn't write, compose one for them.

Kitch has many admirers in T&T;. But he also has a few detractors. For example, in 1993, a large number of citizens signed petitions urging the government of T&T; to award Kitch the highest civilian award, The Trinity Cross, in recognition of his accomplishments. For some reason, the Awards Committee denied the petitions for The Trinity Cross, and decided to give Kitch a lesser award. After consultation with his advisors and fans, Kitch decided not to accept the lesser award.

On the other hand, on Saturday September 21, 1996, Trinidad & Tobago took some time out to pay tribute to Kitch. "The Musical Magic of Kitch," was an Honour Performance staged by the Patrons of Queen's Hall, St. Ann's, in recognition of the creativity and excellence of the work of Lord Kitchener, the Grandmaster. The production, directed by Rawle Gibbons and Noble Douglas, was an assembly of orchestras which, through a variety of performing styles, explored the complexities of Kitchener's music.

Gillian Ballantulo and June Nathaniel, the musical directors of the production, used various musical forms of Kitchener's compositions. The programme opened with a young, a-capella trio, Black Mayl, singing "Trouble In Arima" and "Love In The Cemetery." Syl Dopson and his Calypso Band followed with a nostalgic medley of songs which included "Nora, Nora, Nora," "Trinidad Time" and "Miss Tourist."

Calypsonian Relator (Willard Harris), earned the first genuine cheers of the night for his classy interpretations of "Battymamselle," "Mysterious Letter," "Take Your Meat Out Mih Rice" and "My Brother, Your Sister." The Marionettes Chorale, under its musical director, Gretta Taylor, followed with their versions of "Carnival '73," "Pan In Harmony," as well as "Symphony In G," in which Terri Roxborough soloed.
The Samaroo Jets Steel Ensemble, a replacement for Amoco Renegades Steel Orchestra, injected the distinctive style of the musicianship of their leader, Jit Samaroo, concededly the most accomplished interpreter of Kitchener's music on the steeldrum, with scintillating versions of "Mango Tree," "Two To Go" and "Bees Melody."

In the second segment, Arranger-Keyboardist Leston Paul held the audience spellbound with his classical interpretation on the synthesizer of "Pan In A Minor." Mungal Patasar and Pantar, featuring Clive Zanda on piano, added a new dimension to the magic of Kitch with their interpretations of "Old Lady Walk A Mile And A Half," "Margie" and "Iron Man."

Kurt Allen brought back memories of "Bad Impression" and "Mama Have, Papa Have." Juliet Eckel added her particular slant with "The Carnival Is Over," and the Police Band, under the direction of Superintendent Roderick Urquhart, did a Prelude and Fantasia of *A KITCHENER FANTASY IN FOUR MOVEMENTS,* using "Don't Come Back Again," "Sugar Bum Bum," "Best Things In Life Are Free" and "No Wuk For Carnival."

Kitch was unable to satisfy his many fans with a performance that night, because he was not feeling well. Nevertheless, when Lord Relator brought the performance to a rousing climax with his "Tribute To Kitch" and Kitchener's "Drink a Rum," Kitch got on the stage with the other performers. He was accompanied by hundreds of bottles and spoons in the hands of patrons, creating what a T&T Guardian newspaper reporter described as "a cacophony of sound in fitting tribute to a man who has mesmerized the world with an array of beautiful melodies that have left other musicians in awe." As Kitch was presented with a certificate of commendation by T&T President Noor Hassanali and his wife Zalayhar, under whose patronage the Fourth Honour Performance was staged, Kitch received a well deserved lengthy, standing, ovation.

Carnival '97 was another banner season for Kitch. Kitchener's tent was very successful. Several calypsonians from his tent qualified for both the semifinals and the finals of the Calypso Monarch Competition. But the reigning Monarch, Cro Cro from Kitchener's tent, was defeated at the final competition by Gypsy, who was attached to Kitchener's tent several years ago. Kitchener's CD for 1997 contains a couple of tunes which were popular during Carnival '97. "Guitar Pan" was performed by the Amoco Renegades Steel Orchestra, under the leadership of Jit Samaroo, to win the Panorama Championship for 1997. "Ash Wednesday Mas" was the tune of choice at several beach gatherings in T&T on Ash Wednesday, and "They Turn Back The Clock" which deals with Daylight Saving Time in the US, continues the ever present man-woman relationship as seen through the eyes of Kitchener.



One must note that in the year of his death, and for the first time in many years, no steelband group has chosen to play a Kitchener tune during Panorama. The major reason being that Kitchener released his tunes too late to be considered. However, all the Panorama tunes bear shades of Kitchener's fingerprints. In addition the majority of the finalists for the 2000 Calypso Monarch competition are attached to Kitchener Calypso Revue. What a fitting tribute!