Legendary calypsonian David Michael Rudder can now add the title "The Honourable" to his list of accolades, having been awarded the Order of the Caribbean Community. Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne presented Rudder with the award at a ceremony on Wednesday at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, Port of Spain.
In a release, the ministry said the decision had been taken to confer the award on Rudder at the 43rd Caricom Heads of Government Conferenc in Paramaribo, Suriname in July.
It said Rudder had been unavailable for that event and so the TT government and the Caricom Secretariat conferred the award at a special function.
In accepting the award, Rudder sincerely thanked Caricom and the TT government for the honour and admonished young people to continue to learn and never to give up.
In a WhatsApp response to Newsday on Thursday, Rudder said It was a great day with lots of friends and family.
“I feel humbled to be appreciated by my own community in such a way. That’s the ultimate correcting of my papers. I hope that the young people of this region can draw inspiration from my journey and take our Caribbean spirit way beyond our shores. A whole world is waiting.”
Caricom assistant secretary general of Human and Social Development Allison Drayton praised Rudder for raising the spirits of the region. She noted that everyone felt "Trini to the bone" as a result of his music.
Caricom chair Suriname president Chandrikapersad Santokhi thanked Rudder for his sterling contribution to calypso and to the region.
Browne praised Rudder’s stellar contribution as a cultural icon to the social fabric of TT and the Caribbean as a whole. He said from the very first note, a Rudder song grabs the soul, and never lets it go.
“He gave us the anthem that still rallies West Indians near and far. He beseeched us to appreciate our neighbours, and to empathise with them in their times of struggle. He used calypso music to define calypso music. With his unique and timeless lyrics and melodies, he calls attention to the plight of the common man and conveys the power we wield when we stand up and send a message. He continuously strives to elevate our Caribbean consciousness, and he gave us the key to living harmoniously in a multi-ethnic society: ‘Let you be you, and I’ll be me’.”
Browne described Rudder’s upbringing in Belmont and the contribution his birthplace made to Rudder’s distinctive sound. He noted the singer’s evolution and his history beginning with the bands The Solutions and Charlie’s Roots, as a backup singer in Lord Kitchener’s calypso tent, and behind the scenes in calypso tents and studios.
“In 1986, his album The Hammer smashed its way into the consciousness of our people, giving us timeless hits such as The Hammer and Bahia Girl, and enabled him to be the very first artiste to capture all the major competition titles in the same year: Young King, Calypso Monarch, and Road March King. Amazingly, he also had the winning Panorama tune of that year. You couldn’t hide from him, you coul
