- 2 years ago
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00:00 and we don't want no sour face to come and spoil we day
00:04 well it's a vibrant place
00:07 now we up to date
00:09 and we don't want no sour face to come and spoil we day
00:13 welcome and thank you for viewing another episode of carnival one stop
00:17 and I'm here with the one and only
00:20 Colonel Roberts of course the son of the late great Orwin Roberts
00:24 Colonel 2023 carnival season how has it been for you?
00:28 it's been nice so far
00:30 you know we are the tender
00:32 the early part of the season right now
00:34 but you know it's climaxing
00:37 nice steadily
00:38 were you anticipating 2023 we had two years of no carnival
00:43 covid 19
00:44 I mean you're a writer, producer, performer
00:46 were you going crazy during that period?
00:48 yes well like as everybody else you know
00:52 we had to find things to do to substitute
00:55 not being able to perform and do the things we love
00:58 you know as a producer
01:00 you know it wasn't bad because you could have take this time
01:03 this down time now to put yourself in the studio
01:06 and you know apply yourself to creating music
01:09 and you know that was really good
01:12 that part of it was good because
01:14 in at the start of the pandemic
01:16 Chinese laundry and myself came together and decided to form Chinese laundry music
01:21 and we started writing songs together
01:24 we put the team together we called men like Zan, Chingy
01:27 you know second star
01:29 Megamek, a whole set of guys came together with the same passion and goal
01:33 to make music and we began producing and writing together as a team
01:37 so in our down time in the pandemic we were you know keeping busy
01:42 and keeping at it
01:43 so it's obvious you kept busy during the pandemic
01:45 now we're I don't want to say post pandemic season
01:48 but how did you start preparing for 2023?
01:52 you have a lot of music out
01:54 tell us about it
01:56 well on the heels of 2022 which was really nice
02:00 we had Tilt, the Tilt rhythm
02:03 that was really successful
02:05 you know we had to keep going
02:07 so Tobago Carnival came along
02:10 so that was like our first little footstep into
02:13 prepping for Carnival 23
02:15 and that was nice as well
02:17 Tobago have a lot of potential I must say
02:20 you know I mean I have little kinks and bumps in the road
02:22 but obviously with anything now starting it must have that
02:26 so we went to Tobago
02:28 we had the Scarborough rhythm
02:30 and that was our overwhelming response in Tobago
02:33 for the Scarborough rhythm you know
02:35 you know that sense that we gave Tobago their own rhythm
02:38 you know for the first Carnival ever
02:40 you know created history being part of it musically
02:43 and contributing to the festival
02:45 so you know it was our duty as creatives to contribute to something new
02:50 and you know something that was promising as
02:53 Tobago very own Carnival and having their own Carnival
02:56 totally unhinged from Trinidad
02:59 you know I support that and it was good
03:02 I find it was a good effort
03:04 so Tobago started our journey into preparing for Carnival 23
03:09 that we're in now and it was a nice stepping stone
03:13 so now we're in Carnival 2023 we're in that mood
03:18 tell us about the songs what you're pushing right now
03:23 and where do you feel the people or the masses are at
03:27 in terms of Carnival 2023 right now
03:30 what you're feeling what you're vibing
03:32 well in terms of the songs I have Outside Nice
03:35 which is on the Scarborough rhythm
03:37 I have a Mud Juke song Cover We
03:40 I have Power Sugar
03:43 because power is real back these days
03:45 and I love how power comes back and make a nice return to the industry
03:48 I'm glad for that yeah
03:50 and so I have a power with my boy Zan
03:53 named Tantrum
03:56 I know recently released Monday Gone
03:59 I released another power with my brethren Shown Winchester
04:02 you know Shown and I come from humble beginnings together
04:05 way back in traffic days
04:07 you know so we decided to collaborate and do something for the road
04:11 I have another surprise with another person that I started off in the industry with
04:16 who's very dear to me a female
04:18 if I hint who I started off with
04:21 we have a collaboration to come
04:23 we'll be actually working on if we're going to play it out still or not
04:27 because we're watching the time of the season now
04:29 and we want the song to get as much spotlight as it deserves
04:33 so we're kind of watching it now to see if we can play it out still
04:37 viewers your carnival one stop returns right after this commercial break
04:41 [music]
05:09 I think the people now transitioning you know
05:11 every year at this time it is always
05:14 business always be the same you know
05:16 people are not really ready yet for the carnival
05:18 you know coming from Christmas
05:20 bills, people are broken
05:23 ain't get paid yet
05:24 but I think it will always flip
05:27 you see when you get your first pay in January
05:29 then everybody will just turn into carnival mood one time
05:32 full carnival mood
05:33 everybody will get bite so to speak
05:35 you know
05:36 I think right now people still getting their feet wet
05:39 and getting accustomed to the new songs
05:41 who going to see them
05:42 everybody in planning mood right now
05:44 who playing mass, who not playing mass yet
05:47 who going to play juve a lot
05:49 who playing everything
05:50 you understand
05:51 so at this time everybody will be trying to make up their mind
05:54 how they really want to do it
05:56 you understand
05:57 so it's going to give people a little time in January
06:00 to flip, to make the full flip
06:02 and it's so good for you as an artist to know that kind of
06:05 you know exactly what you're coming to meet
06:07 when you go to the crowd
06:08 and you realize ok they really ain't feeling the thing
06:12 you have to test out
06:13 at this time it will be real
06:15 you know testing phases
06:17 for artists too with their material
06:19 you know you have to see the songs that the crowd actually accepting
06:23 you know and partying too
06:25 some of them just like to
06:27 some of them ain't ready for
06:28 you know so it's a good testing phase as an artist
06:31 what's your day like?
06:32 because I mean doing all that you're doing
06:34 you must be so tired at the end of the day
06:37 yeah but I think it's the passion
06:39 that's what's how you're going
06:40 you know passion is turning to energy
06:42 and I just keep high adrenaline up and pumping
06:46 sometimes it's real hard to come out of your bed
06:48 you know like this morning and all
06:49 it's hard to get up to do this
06:51 but it's the passion and love for it
06:53 you know it's your duty
06:54 and your purpose
06:55 you have to get up and do it
06:57 and we definitely appreciate you taking the time
06:59 to chat with us
07:01 now we know you as a performer
07:04 we also know you as a musician
07:06 we know you as a writer
07:08 you know where and how did you begin to develop all these talents?
07:13 good almighty God
07:16 the grace of God
07:17 you know I think I was gifted with all these talents
07:20 from a young age
07:22 but I just put myself in positions to be successful
07:26 and to nurture
07:28 and you know evolve as a person
07:32 and I split myself into different roles
07:35 I think it's just capability
07:38 I was just capable
07:40 and as I say again passion
07:42 I just wanted to do one thing
07:43 if I could do this and I could do that
07:45 and I could do that
07:46 I was just doing all you know
07:47 kind of like a jack of all trades
07:49 so but I still tried to master
07:52 you know songwriting
07:54 and musicianship
07:56 you know
07:58 so you could do many things and do all of them well
08:01 you know what I mean
08:02 and I always try to achieve that
08:04 you know be a great musician
08:06 a great songwriter
08:07 a great performer
08:09 you may be better in some fields than some
08:13 but once you put your all behind what you're trying to do
08:16 you know what I mean
08:17 I believe you'll succeed
08:19 that was my MO
08:20 where do you get your passion from?
08:23 because I mean you're talking about writing and so on
08:25 and I mean I've not written music for places
08:28 but I'm sure you'll be wondering
08:29 should I keep this song?
08:31 should I not keep this song?
08:32 as a writer Colonel
08:33 how do you decide which song you're going to keep for yourself
08:37 and give to someone else?
08:39 well back then when I used to just be a writer
08:41 it was easy
08:42 I wasn't singing so
08:43 as a writer song
08:44 like that Marshall or Gershaw or Patrice or
08:47 people I used to write for used to get them
08:49 but now that I'm an artist singing
08:52 it's more be on a kind of self emission now to be honest
08:56 if you are an artist you will take care of yourself first
08:59 and you are a writer
09:00 you will try and write the best for yourself
09:02 that's just human
09:04 they're just human
09:05 so
09:07 now you have to know how to split it
09:09 sometimes you might write songs and you know
09:11 the range might be for you
09:13 and hear somebody else a female range singing it
09:16 or somebody else with a higher male range than yours
09:19 to portray the song better
09:21 to bring it over
09:23 you just have to be careful with how you select it
09:25 your selection process
09:27 you take a little thought
09:28 give it thought
09:30 you decide to really give it to
09:32 strategically you can come up with the answers
09:35 for each song that you write
09:37 yeah
09:38 so I'm glad you took us through that
09:40 because you wrote for a lot of big names
09:42 right
09:43 and now you're on the stage
09:45 I don't want to say competing against
09:48 but you all are on the same stage
09:50 yeah
09:51 so how is that?
09:52 It's cool
09:53 I mean
09:54 most of my peers accept that I am
09:56 I transition into being an artist now
09:58 you know
09:59 I want to believe
10:00 most of them happy for me
10:02 and they support me
10:03 and you know cheer me on
10:04 so
10:05 that transition has been good for me
10:08 time to get up and dance
10:10 gal in the shortest pants
10:12 them bumpers rolling
10:13 we stumbling
10:14 on the dog on the dog
10:16 on the drifting
10:17 when the drink is wrong
10:18 we stumbling
10:19 on the dog on the dog
10:20 see most of the drinks unflowing
10:22 man that's how we go twisted party
10:24 party
10:25 you know we twisted bad
10:26 bad bad
10:27 we put fries and men that day
10:29 hotline
10:30 you know we fretting hard
10:31 hotline
10:32 you know we twisted party
10:33 party
10:34 we get twisted bad
10:35 bad bad
10:36 we put people the wrong way
10:37 make it
10:38 they should just look up your history
10:41 they know that we terribly strong
10:45 physically
10:47 musically
10:49 we took over
10:51 we took over
10:52 it's coming down
10:53 it's coming down
10:54 so you're forming your own legacy
10:56 you know we have had so many great people
10:59 in the art form of Calypso and Soka
11:02 sadly a lot of them have left us over the years
11:05 and every time that happens
11:07 you know we talk about how we should honour them
11:09 and how we should this and how we should that
11:11 obviously you must be overwhelmed with the appreciation
11:15 and all that they have shown for your dad last year
11:17 celebrating his 100th birthday
11:20 Kunal how was that for you?
11:22 That was a special time for me last year
11:25 you know seeing that
11:27 the country actually came together to recognize
11:30 and pay homage and celebrate the life of the Grandmaster
11:33 celebrating 100 years
11:36 you know
11:37 I mean not of existence but
11:39 just to know that after his death
11:43 22 years after his death
11:45 that we can still celebrate 100 years of music
11:48 you understand because music is forever
11:50 it goes on
11:51 even when the flesh is dead
11:53 the spirit lives on forever
11:54 and the music lives on forever
11:56 so 100 years of Lord Kitchener's music
11:59 is what was really celebrated last year
12:01 and I tip my hat to everyone who was involved
12:04 you know from a ministerial level to the private sector
12:08 Arima, the branding committee
12:10 you know they worked really hard to put on the couple event
12:14 and I was really proud you know
12:17 and repping my family and you know repping dad over the years
12:22 to see well on 100 years of his music
12:25 that it was celebrated by you know his hometown Arima
12:30 his charm
12:31 Queen Street in Arima was renamed after him
12:35 it was a fitting tribute
12:37 because he was an Arima born, Arima boy
12:40 you know and that was real fitting
12:43 to rename Pro Queen Street to the Lord Kitchen Avenue
12:48 which is anything happening in Arima with carnival, juve, just go right around Pro Queen Street
12:54 so that's a fitting street to put Lord Kitchen Avenue
12:59 and I was really happy with everything that was done last year
13:03 because as they say we have to you know
13:05 we have to recognize and reward and you know
13:08 give flowers to who deserve it and not wait till they pass
13:12 you know so all the icons that we have now who's still alive
13:16 you know God we have to celebrate their lives
13:18 oh no get them the flowers now
13:20 and don't wait till they pass you know what I mean
13:23 you know God rest Black Stalin's soul
13:25 you know pass the enemy
13:26 I believe you know there was celebrating Black Stalin's life
13:29 you know he had a street renamed after him too as well
13:33 in San Fernando
13:35 you know so there are little things we could do to pay tribute to these great icons we have in Trinidad and Tobago
13:40 you know we have a lot
13:42 we should have a whole university for them
13:44 you understand just going and learning about all the icons
13:49 and everything great about our culture in Trinidad and Tobago
13:53 what would you say or could you share one of your fondest memories with your dad
13:59 because I can imagine you have so many
14:01 but tell us one tell us one
14:04 a good memory I always think about is going in the horse racing park
14:08 because he had a horse a race horse Una
14:13 he had many horses and he used to take us when we were small
14:17 up to the park on a weekend like Saturday morning Sunday morning
14:21 we used to go up to the paddock with him and check out his race horses
14:25 you know they would be training
14:27 I don't think we used to go to the actual races
14:29 but we used to go to when they were training
14:32 so those memories stick with me from small you know
14:35 going up there, the scent of the paddock, the scent of the horses
14:38 touching the horses
14:40 you know even eating our bacon
14:42 she's in the little cafeteria
14:44 inside the cafeteria is a million flies
14:47 you understand back in the days
14:49 these memories stick with me you know
14:51 stuck with me all the way
14:53 I have a million memories but I have one fond one
14:55 being in the race, track with him
14:57 do you think we'll see Kunal maybe going in a Calypso tent
15:01 one of these years in the future what do you think
15:04 I suppose he'll be in the tent this year
15:06 I think sugar aloes, I missed him call some sugar aloes
15:09 aloes boy I'll call you back after this interview
15:12 I missed him call some aloes up there a couple days ago
15:16 I think he's trying to get me to come in the tent
15:18 maybe pay some tribute this year
15:20 because I think actually in one of the tribute shows
15:23 we spoke about it
15:25 we spoke about me coming in the tent this year
15:27 and singing one of Dad's songs
15:29 and paying tribute you know on the heels of the 100 anniversary
15:33 what is the feeling when you're in the tent
15:35 sorry not cutting across, I did sing in the tent earlier
15:37 well tell me about that
15:39 I sang in the tent the year my father passed in 2000
15:42 because the first time I did this Kitchener emulation gig
15:45 was in 1999
15:47 there was a show, all the road marches through the years
15:50 and Daddy didn't sing on the show
15:53 he was just there because he can remember all the songs
15:55 the one thing he doesn't remember is songs from way back through
15:58 they hired Calypso-ians to sing his road marches
16:01 and they hired me to sing too
16:04 a song called Margie and a song called Martin Marley's Treasure
16:10 that was two of his road marches
16:13 and the manager of the tent, God rest his soul, Jazzy Pantin
16:17 he was at that show and he saw me perform
16:19 and Daddy came up on stage with me
16:21 and we put a little dance and things together
16:23 and it was a nice scene
16:25 so after he saw that, the manager
16:27 he was like, ah, you're not capable of doing that
16:30 dressing up like your father and performing like your father
16:33 so now the following year, because the show was in '99
16:35 the following year, 2000, when Kitchener was failing
16:38 and he was going down
16:40 he got the idea that I should come in the tent
16:43 and sing Daddy's song that he would have sung that year
16:47 which was a song named Pound Birdie
16:49 so in 2000, when Daddy was in the hospital
16:52 and was studying to close the tent and everything
16:54 they said, nah, we keep the tent running
16:56 Kitchener won't let the tent to run
16:58 Kitchener won't let the tent to close down and shut down
17:01 right?
17:02 so we kept the tent running
17:03 and Jazzy called me and said, hey, will you come and sing your father's song
17:07 the one he would have been singing this year
17:09 but he can't unfortunately, unfortunately
17:11 he can't sing it
17:12 he's in the hospital fighting, he's like
17:14 you gotta come and sing it and represent your father
17:16 I don't see you do it last year already
17:18 I knew you could do it
17:19 right?
17:20 so I took up the challenge and I ran with it
17:23 so I was in the tent the whole year singing my dad's song, Pound Birdie
17:26 you know, and then after the passing, I didn't know how that was already
17:30 and then the following year, 2001
17:33 I wrote my own song
17:35 named The Song of the Goat
17:37 because I found some as well
17:39 in tribute to him
17:40 and I sang in the tent for the whole season as well, 2001
17:43 when the gates plate on Pound, it came seven
17:45 in the Pound of Japan
17:47 so you know, I have my little experience of singing in the tent as well
17:50 [Music]
18:12 [Music]
18:33 You thought about what you would want your legacy to be
18:36 in Trinidad and Tobago
18:38 you've covered so many areas
18:40 you are still in the legacy of your dad as well
18:44 have you thought about what would you like Trinidad and Tobago to be?
18:47 He's the road march family
18:48 he's the greatest road march family in Trinidad and Tobago
18:51 understand?
18:52 we in charge of the road
18:53 Lord Kitchener Road March Mix
18:55 and I did it with mine
18:57 yeah
18:58 we record on Beat the World
18:59 that's my legacy
19:01 we in charge of the road
19:02 we in charge of Carnival
19:03 we in charge of happy music
19:04 we in charge of putting a smile on your face
19:06 when you come to Trinidad for Carnival
19:08 you put on that costume on your back
19:10 remember men like you know
19:11 remember the great Lord Kitchener
19:13 that we contributed to this art form
19:15 to make you happy and cross that stage
19:17 and put a smile on your face
19:19 understand?
19:20 as we're talking about road march family and everything like that
19:23 when you write in a song
19:25 do you say well, I think this can be a little bit like
19:28 do you have that in mind?
19:30 I have a bar in me
19:31 I have a bar in me that
19:32 you know, it's an inner personal thing
19:34 I feel it now
19:36 understand?
19:37 if it tick
19:38 if a song when I write
19:40 and a song when I feel the vibes on it
19:41 hit that bar
19:42 well
19:43 it could only be good things someday
19:45 once it hit that bar
19:46 you know, it could only be good things
19:48 I call road march already
19:49 before
19:50 way before
19:51 my first road march
19:52 I wrote for Patrice
19:54 we reached the stage we won men of bar in the year
19:57 with Marshell
19:58 when I wrote that song
19:59 I wrote that song the summer
20:01 summer of 2005
20:03 and
20:04 that song won road march in 2006
20:06 and when I wrote that song
20:08 I told Patrice
20:09 she gonna win road march
20:10 in August 2005
20:12 and she's like
20:13 what road march?
20:14 you mad or what?
20:16 I can win no road march
20:18 I said wait and see
20:20 I said see this song
20:21 we reached the stage we won men of
20:24 nothing is beating this
20:26 I am telling you
20:27 and that
20:28 and that is the bar in me that
20:30 you know, it was hitting the bar hard
20:31 ting ting ting ting ting ting ting
20:33 you know
20:34 I know that one was it
20:35 also the following year
20:37 um
20:38 nah
20:39 I lie
20:40 not the following year
20:41 Pallance
20:42 I call it with Pallance too
20:43 like way before
20:44 I said yo
20:45 this is road march
20:46 nothing is going to come
20:48 to beat this song
20:49 this is going to win road march
20:51 I tell Jason and Blaze that way in advance
20:53 you understand?
20:54 they doubt me
20:55 then they watch me like I will be a man after
20:57 I say all year, I tell them all year
20:59 this is the song
21:01 and they were like
21:02 how you know that boy Kitchie boy?
21:03 how you know that boy?
21:04 this is after the fact we won right?
21:06 and I just let them know
21:07 yes, I have a bar inside me boy
21:09 this will hit that bar
21:10 I said it undeniably
21:12 you know what I mean?
21:14 when I have a song
21:15 before that song release
21:16 I just play it all
21:17 till I sometimes wake up my mother
21:19 and them 4 o'clock in the morning
21:20 when I come from studio
21:22 put my box in the yard
21:23 and I up and down
21:24 testing out my tune in the yard
21:26 they start to test it out too
21:27 fun story
21:29 my father
21:30 working on one hero
21:31 road march
21:32 we in New York
21:33 right?
21:34 and I think I get this from him
21:35 because Charlie
21:36 Charlie records
21:37 Charlie's records
21:38 was one of the most prominent
21:39 record labels back in the days
21:41 right?
21:42 he used to produce all the big
21:43 coletones
21:44 right?
21:45 Charlie did Sugar Boom Boom
21:46 right?
21:47 so anyway
21:48 my father staying by Charlie's apartment
21:50 on Eastern Parkway
21:52 and Charlie going out somewhere
21:54 and Charlie come back 3 o'clock in the morning
21:56 and seeing my father
21:58 seeing my father
22:00 on the parkway
22:02 on the service lane
22:03 with the guitar jumping up
22:04 in the road
22:05 and playing the guitar by himself
22:07 and he walking up and down the service lane
22:08 3 o'clock in the morning
22:09 in Brooklyn
22:11 Charlie come out of the car
22:12 and say "Kitch you going mad boy?"
22:13 "What's going on with you there?"
22:15 Charlie boy
22:17 I find the tune boy
22:18 I find the road march
22:19 I'm testing it out on the road
22:20 I'm testing it out
22:22 [laughs]
22:23 the man say he testing it out on the road
22:25 3 o'clock in the morning
22:26 he on the service lane
22:27 with the guitar
22:28 on Eastern Parkway
22:30 right?
22:31 he's trying to feel it out
22:32 go and feel on the roads
22:34 he's trying to grung off
22:36 and it's something like that
22:38 I experienced that same feeling
22:40 when I play the music
22:41 before it release
22:42 it's like you need to test it out
22:44 so there's me all in the yard
22:45 running up and down
22:46 anyway
22:48 you understand?
22:49 [laughs]
22:50 I had to test it out
22:51 you tested it out
22:52 and I think you have proven
22:54 that your formula works
22:56 the man with the formula
22:57 Colonel Roberts
22:58 thank you so much
22:59 for being with us
23:00 with Carnival One Step
23:01 viewers thank you again
23:03 for viewing
23:04 and you can catch a recap
23:05 of this week's episode
23:06 Sundays at 5pm
23:09 [music]
23:12 [music]
23:15 [music]
23:18 [music]
23:21 [music]
23:24 [music]
23:26 [music]
23:32 [music]
23:37 [music]
23:42 [music]
23:46 ♪ I'm a f*cking good boy, I'll be done ♪
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