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Under the shadow of Kitchener By Keith Smith, Trinidad Express, Wednesday, April 19th 2006 |
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Lord Kitchener would have been 84 yesterday, which affords me a lead-in to my column on the man I called "The Grandmaster,'' the chess term making an easy transition because Kitchener was a master of the calypso game, only Sparrow making me cautious about not using a "the'' for that "a'' there and even so Sparrow had the help of two top composers in "Piggy'' Joseph and Joker Devine, the latter writing a cache of classics including, for King Austin, "Progress'' which TUCO, who should know, voted the best calypso of the millennium. I wouldn't have had the temerity to undertake such a sweeping ranking, not that "Progress'' is not a classic in its class, but such is the calypso range that I'd be hesitant to pit category against category in a bid to select "the best ever'' and, even so, I am not so sure that, class for class, "Progress'' has the better of Rudder's "Hosay'' whatever the greater popularity of the former. Both of these are what some people call "high'' or "Savannah'' calypsoes but I don't see how you can categorise as "low'' the humorous calypsoes that Spoiler sang or the festive songs that Kitchener sang, not that "Kitch'' was limited to any one genre although his political commentary is somewhat sparse notwithstanding "No Freedom'', the old man's cri de coeur against the sedition laws. Indeed, I once heard a story that around the time of that song the late Dr Eric Williams, driving past Kitchener in his official car, poked his head out and said: "Mr Kitchener, I have been listening to you.'' At which Kitch turned to his calypso companion who told me the story and said: "I never singing on them people again.'' Frankly, I find that story hard to believe since I can't imagine the old Dr Williams taking on any calypso or calypsonian to that extent and because, Kitchener did sing "on them again'', his "Soca Corruption'' a stinging indictment of PNM corruption at the time of its composition, masterful in its understatement in that it said everything without saying anything. The marvel of Kitchener, as Gordon Rohlehr has pointed out, is how he managed to straddle calypso eras, my late father dancing, in the early 50s to "Nora'' written and sung by the same man whom I watch, transfixed, as he "brought on'' Renegades one Panorama night, bringing thousands in the North and Grand Stands to their feet with "Bees Melody'', the time span between those two calypsoes being some 40 years, Kitchener dying great and as his perennial pal, Pretender, used to say "born great''. Pretender knew of what he spoke and Kitchener, too, since he must have been singing for some ten years when he sang in "Professor Kitch'': I am giving my opinion candidly About calypso singers and their ability The Spoiler for ideas he is the best And by a long way he surpasses the rest Melody is clever in his bounce and tune Boy, I really like to hear the way that mister croon But Calypso won't be complete so far If you leave out the professor, Lord Kitchener Lord Pretender, the whole world knows Is the master of them all In extempo. The Skipper Is good as a musician I also recommend his composition For real jocular singing Viking is my choice And we can't ignore the Terror the man with the voice But Calypso won't be complete so far If you leave out the professor, Lord Kitchener. The young Kitchener, that singing bird He's the best renderer I have ever heard And for popular singers, you all should know Try Zebra, Dictator and King Pharaoh The Wonder and the Ziegfield they come poke-a-poke At times when they are singing they may crack a joke But Calypso won't be complete so far If you leave out the professor, Lord Kitchener....'' There is not a calypsonian named here by "Kitch'' in this 1954 calypso that he did not overshadow in his long career. But, then, again there is not a calypsonian in, say, 2006 that doesn't have to live under the late great's shadow-except Sparrow, perhaps. Perhaps. Just perhaps. |