Len 'Boogsie' Sharpe, Paul Keens-Douglas to get UWI doctorates

UWI will award 14 honorary doctorates at its 2020 graduation ceremonies. Among the recipients are two distinguished TT nationals who have pioneered the country’s arts, culture and the music sectors locally, regionally and internationally.

Paul Keens-Douglas will be conferred a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) degree for his work in culture and the arts and Len "Boogsie" Sharpe will be awarded a DLitt degree for his work with steelpan arrangement, composition, and performance.

Keens-Douglas is well-known in the theatrical world, where his work has focused on highlighting TT and the Eastern Caribbean vernacular through dramatic presentations and advertising as writer, performer, and producer.

He is also a self-published author and has produced ten books, including Tanti at De Oval (1975), which was translated and published in Japanese, German and French Creole.

Keens-Douglas said he was thrilled and humbled by the award.

“I feel honoured and happy to be recognised and appreciated. I want to thank those people who recommended me.”

Keens-Douglas added that artistes and entertainers were having a hard time surviving covid19, as the entertainment industry had been halted by the precautionary restrictions.

He said however, that this not should not looked at negatively and artistes and performers should use the down time to refine their work.

“Everybody is doing what they supposed to be doing and trying to survive under the covid19 conditions...It gives everyone the time to be more creative because now we have the space to refine our skills and talents.

“Of course, going forward a lot of things are going to change and revising our survival is important. We depend on things like sponsorship and without this a lot of things cannot happen,” Keen-Douglas said.

He said smaller artistes and entertainers faced much more challenges, since marketing and promotions were costly, and hoped that they would get help with advertising.

Keens-Douglas said, “I think that is our biggest challenge. You can do the show and if people come to the show and you can survive. But the important part is getting people to know you are having a show. Marketing is the hardest part.

“Many shows fail because the small artistes do not have the required marketing and publicity because it is just not affordable.”

He encouraged them to continue producing their work and said their passion will ensure their survival in the industry.

Sharpe, leader of Hadco Phase II Pan Groove, also said he was grateful and appreciative for the recognition.

“It is a good feeling and I am humbly thankful and grateful for this award. It is a nice feeling. It is recognition not just for me but for all those in the pan fraternity.”

The graduation ceremonies at UWI campuses across the regions are scheduled to take place from January 11-16, with mixed formats, with almost 8,500 students expected to graduate.

Since 1965 UWI has conferred over 500 honorary degrees in a variety of fields such as music, theatre, public service, medicine, agricultural science and entrepreneurship.

The other awardees for 2020 include:

St Augustine campus:

Prof Edgar Julian Duncan of St Vincent and the Grenadines for contributions to Caribbean science and agriculture – doctor of science (DSc)

Dominico Felipe Martina of Curacao for public service leadership – doctor of laws (LLD)

Mona campus:

Glen Christian of Jamaica for entrepreneurship – LLD

His Excellency Sir Rodney Errey Lawrence Williams of Antigua and Barbuda for medicine and public service – DSc

Robert E Levy of Jamaica for entrepreneurship – LLD

Prof E Albert Reece of Jamaica/USA for leadership in the field of medicine – DSc

Hilary Grace Sherlock of Jamaica for her work in special disabilities education – LLD

Cave Hill campus:

Sonita Alleyne of Barbados for entrepreneurship and contributions to journalism – doctor of letters (DLitt)

Prof Juliet M Daniel of Barbados for her work in medicine and cancer research – DSc

Julio Frenk of the US for leadership in the field of medicine – DSc

Open Campus:

Franklyn McIntosh of St Vincent and the Grenadines for his work as a musical director/composer – DLitt

Sir Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds of St Kitts and Nevis for public service leadership – DSc