If we are talking about songs that capture a specific moment in time, which is basically the entire point of this 1000 Songs project, it is genuinely impossible to ignore Aldwyn Roberts, better known to the world as Lord Kitchener, or simply "Kitch."

He wasn't just a musician; he was the undisputed Grand Master of Calypso.

There are three key things you really need to understand about him to get why he's so vital to this archive.

Firstly, the man literally soundtracked history. In 1948, he bought a ticket on the HMT Empire Windrush. When the ship pulled into Tilbury Docks, bringing some of the first post-war West Indian immigrants to the UK, a reporter for Pathé News shoved a microphone in his face. Right there, on the spot, Kitchener sang a specially written song into the camera. No studio, no auto-tune, just a man and a heavy dose of optimism stepping into the freezing English breeze. That song was "London Is the Place for Me."

Secondly, he became the absolute voice of those first 5,000 West Indian migrants. Imagine leaving the Caribbean for a grey, post-war Britain. His music was a vital lifeline. It spoke of a home they desperately missed, but also documented the reality of the life they were trying to build.

Thirdly, he was a relentless innovator. He didn't just have a brief stint in the UK and fade away. He eventually moved back to Trinidad and completely dominated the calypso scene. We're talking winning the Road March competition 10 times. He ran his own calypso tent, nurtured a whole new generation of artists, and basically helped pioneer the transition into Soca music in the 70s.

And of course I put in...

London is the Place for Me by Lord Kitchener