Kitch's song in UK film

Kitch's song in UK film
By Julien Neaves, Newsday News, Friday, January 23 2015
http://www.newsday.co.tt/carnival_2015/0,205991.html

THE FAMILY of late calypso Grandmaster Aldwyn Roberts, better known as Lord Kitchener, says they were not aware his music was being used in British comedy film Paddington, which is about an eponymous talking bear.

A song from Lord Kitchener, "London is the Place for Me", is included on the soundtrack for the film, which was released in the UK last November and this month in the US. Roberts' son Kernal Roberts told Newsday yesterday, "I did not know anything about it." Roberts added that he was in the middle of organising his father's publishing.

Roberts, a soca producer, singer and songwriter, noted that before his father died he had a publishing deal with Guyanese British musician Eddy Grant.

He said however, that the time for the contract would have terminated and litigation may be involved in getting back control of the music.

He noted that when they are in control of the publishing they will be able to address the problems of his father's music being used without permission. He recalled that there were previous instances where Lord Kitchener's music "popped up", but on some occasions they were "lucky" and they were contacted. Roberts said it may be a case of a publisher with a terminated contract and publishing on behalf of Lord Kitchener, adding that the contracts would be for a term that would have expired.

"We will be in control of everything soon," he added. Contacted for comment, Valerie Green (the late calypsonian's former partner) said no one involved in the movie Paddington, got in touch with the family about usage of his songs and she only learned about it when someone mentioned it to her. Roberts died in 2000.

"No one got in touch with us to tell us anything. They are supposed to," Green said. She noted that she will have to sit with her family and discuss the issue. According to an article on BBC News, the film's director Paul King included calypso into the film noting his (King) wife introduced him to, "this brilliant but largely neglected music" and one of the songs he heard was Lord Kitchener's, "London is the Place for Me."

The article noted that Kitchener was among the passengers on the Empire Windrush, the ship which brought hundreds of Caribbean immigrants to the UK in 1948 and had sang, "London is the Place For Me", to a British news crew as he disembarked at Tilbury.