Call me Dr StalinBy Lara Pickford-Gordon Saturday, November 1 2008
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Proud black man: Leroy 'Black Stalin' Calliste holds his honorary doctorate at UWI, St Augustine yesterday. ...
“In times of plenty we have to be grateful,” sang calypsonian Leroy “Black Stalin” Calliste, as he entertained graduates of the Faculty of Humanities and Education, University of the West Indies at the Sport and Physical Education Centre, St Augustine, yesterday.
At the ceremony Stalin was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters.
Stalin had planned to say a few words and leave but after guest speaker Kynaston McShine, he decided to sing. He was going to sing one song but Stalin said with so many young people in attendance he decided to sing another song “just for so”.
The audience sang along as Stalin gave an acapella version of “In Times”, and then with musical accompaniment (drum and guitar) he sang his classic “Caribbean Man”. The audience tapped their feet and sang the chorus.
Before singing “In Times”, Stalin told the graduates “regardless of your position, regardless of your condition one of the things we know is we don’t run this world. Somebody else runs it for us and while passing through we’ve got to make the best of it.”
Prior to receiving his doctorate from Chancellor Sir George Alleyne, orator for the ceremony, Dr Barbara Lalla, said Stalin “combines irony and wit with penetrating social and political commentary.” She said the five-time Calypso Monarch has attracted recognition locally and internationally for his contribution to culture and community.
She said, “The civic dimension lies in the function of calypso as a platform for social justice.”
After the ceremony, Stalin told Newsday he was happy about the doctorate and that he wrote songs to “make a difference in people’s lives”.
“When you put out your work and it contributed in some way to somebody having a better life it feels good to know.
