Independence accolades bestowed on musicians and educator

Two local entertainers and an educator and gender equality advocate are the recipients of this country’s newest and highest national awards.

The three top National Honours for Independence Day 2019 – announced by the Government today – have gone to musical icon Anthony Nicholas Mighty Gabby Carter, leader of the world-famous Merrymen Charles Emile Straker and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor Violet Eudine Barriteau.

The Order of Freedom of Barbados constituted in August this year to run parallel with the British version of Knight of St Andrew is also being conferred on Anthony Mighty Gabby Carter for his seminal work in music, in particular, his contribution to the art form of calypso.

Carter, who has an honourary doctorate from the UWI, Cave Hill, is also being recognised by his country for his groundbreaking work in folk music through an exceptional repertoire of lyrics and melody, and his work with youth in music. Reached late Friday he could only say “I have no words to describe how I feel about receiving my country’s highest honour during my lifetime…I have no words…I have no words,” the musical maestro told Barbados TODAY via telephone.

After thanking God, Prime Minister Mia Mottley, other Cabinet members, his family and fans who supported him over the years, an apparently overwhelmed Gabby, as he is most widely known declared: “When it all sinks in, I may be able to elaborate.”

He is an Honorary Nigerian Chief Omowale, Pan Africanist, vocalist extraordinaire, musician, composer, actor, professional calypsonian, calypso monarch, politician, founder of Battleground Calypso Tent and columnist.

Carter has won the local calypso monarch eight times, his major hit song Jack was featured in a foreign movie called Water and he has performed in a Barbadian play which had a successful run in Harlem and Brooklyn, New York.

He is most associated with developing calypso in Barbados from 1968 to the first decade of the 21st century and has toured North and South America, Europe and Africa singing and teaching calypso and folk music.

With this national award, he will be referred to as Most Honourable.

Professor Barriteau, who will now also be referred to as the Most Honourable is being conferred with the newly-established Order of Freedom of Barbados (FB) for her outstanding contribution to tertiary education and pioneering leadership in the development of gender studies and the promotion of gender equality.

This newest top national awardee, who is also Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the UWI Cave Hill Campus is a Caribbean feminist, scholar and activist with considerable experience in executive administration and coordination of regional projects.

She is also credited with having extensive research interests that encompass transformational educational leadership, feminist theorizing and investigations of the Caribbean political economy, and gender and public policy.

Professor Barriteau has spearheaded a number of initiatives at the UWI including the creation of a Faculty of Sport, which the university established in July 2017 and the establishment of a Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts which takes effect on Emancipation Day, August 1, 2020.

In responding to her latest achievement, the Order of Freedom of Barbados awardee said: “I am simply overjoyed, humbled and deeply honoured to have been awarded the inaugural Order of Freedom of Barbados.

“It is an overwhelming feeling of appreciation to have my work and my commitment recognized in my lifetime. I am even more thrilled to make history as one of the first recipients of the Order of Freedom of Barbados,” Professor Barriteau told Barbados TODAY.

She said she has enjoyed the contributions she has made while expressing a “deep” sense of loyalty to Barbados “which has embraced me and enabled my flourishing as a scholar and leader. Thank you Barbados.”

Meanwhile, the musical legend Emile Straker, has been endowed with the British version – the Knight of St Andrew – and will be known as Sir Emile for being the creative force in the establishment and the development of the internationally renowned Merrymen and its unique genre of music.

“I never thought that at my age people would be thinking about that [achievement],” the 83-year-old singer, song writer told Barbados TODAY when contacted for his reaction to the national honour.

“I am grateful and humbled. It feels good. I very much appreciate it. I have written a lot of music…and 60 or 70 per cent of my music is about Barbados,” he added.

But Straker, who has penned such hits as You Sweeten Me, Gary Sobers, Sam Lord, Nut Seller, Ring-Ting-Ting, Big Bamboo, Steel Donkey and the unofficial anthem Beautiful Barbados, is surprised at getting the country’s highest honour.

“I never thought I would see this in my lifetime,” he stated.

The Companion of Honour – the second highest national award – has gone to a former senior public officer and diplomat Lolita Applewhaite for her outstanding contribution to public service in Barbados and to diplomacy and development through high-level representation in the region and the Commonwealth.

Ex-Cabinet minister Rawle Eastmond is also the recipient of a similar honour for his service in politics, contribution to parliamentary debate and literature. A third award for Companion of Honour is being conferred on Queen’s Counsel Theodore Gittens for his outstanding work in the legal profession and public service.

This year, the Gold Crown of Merit has gone to four Barbadians in the fields of music and culture, public health, farming and agriculture and sports.  They are former Chief Medical Officer Dr Beverly Miller; agriculturalist Anthony Nicholls; ex-Chief Executive Officer of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Antonio Boo Rudder and immediate past president of the Barbados Olympic Association Steven Steve Stoute.

This year’s recipients of the Silver Crown of Merit are recognized for their outstanding exploits in areas ranging from the Boy Scouts and the Evangelical movement to teaching, criminal justice and community service. The beneficiaries this year are McClaren Holder, Hallam King, Nigel Taylor and Grace Pilgrim. emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb