De Road Make to Walk—A tribute to Kitch

De Road Make to Walk—A tribute to Kitch
Trinidad Guardian, Thursday, June 02nd, 2022
https://www.guardian.co.tt/article/de-road-make-to-walka-tribute-to-kitch-6.2.1501295.c6f83907f7

San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello has praised De Road Make to Walk, a calypso musical as a proud and well-documented moment in local history that chronicled the life of iconic Aldwyn Roberts which was produced by the Fyzabad Connection Theatre Company.

In bringing greetings Regrello sang a verse and chorus to Roberts’ De Road Make to Walk on Carnival Day and expressed disappointment that more young people did not attend the show.

“We know the material, we know the narrative, our young people need to get more connected to this. We need to be telling this story. This narrative and this journey of this 100 years,” Regrello said.

Roberts’ son Kernal also made a cameo in the second half of the production with his father’s song Bees Melody and called for the team to take the show as part of a succession plan to Port-of-Spain.

The script was written by Zeno Obi Constance from material researched and complicated since 2003 and staged at SAPA last weekend. The 18 members cast relived the humble beginnings of Roberts fondly referred to as the Grandmaster, Lord Kitchener, and Kitch.

The director pitched his birth town of Arima and his quest to share calypso with the world as he embarked to build a prolific repertoire of music in T&T’s history.

The two-hour production cast at the Sundar Popo Auditorium was set to depict Roberts’ early beginnings and how he forged a way forward in the calypso world. In the play, particularly London, researchers delved into Roberts’ life documenting the journey, deception, torture and, pain Roberts endured as he introduced the musical artform to the world.

Roberts would have turned 100 years old in April if he was still alive. He died in 2000.

The production mirrored the ghost of Kitch’s past, his stint in London, and his having to flee back to Trinidad; his construct for the game on his return to the industry saw Slinger “Mighty Sparrow” Francisco played by Joseph Lopez as a new and upcoming threat to his legacy.

But what was obvious in Geneva Drepaulsingh directing was Roberts played by Kurtis Gross pride and ingenuity as the only accomplished calypsonian at the time to sing and win accolades with his self-penned compositions.

Kernal thanked Constance and the team for an “in-depth lifetime” glossary of his father at work. He said it was important that the story be told to depart knowledge to the younger people for whom the culture transcends.