Lord Nelson rocks UWI graduation ceremony

Veteran calypsonian Robert “Lord Nelson” Nelson rocked the Faculty of Humanities and Education graduation ceremony on Saturday morning when, instead of giving the usual speech, he performed two of his hits after being conferred an honorary degree of Doctors of Letters.

Wearing a white suit and red graduation robes, Nelson, 90, stood proudly on stage with his walking cane as Prof Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw read out the citation. She spoke of him growing up in Plymouth, Tobago, his move to the US where he was drafted into the army and deployed to Korea, and him discovering his talent when he sang songs of the most popular calypsonians at the time to the troops on weekends.

“Nelson is undeniably one of the architects of soca. With his musical genius, he combined the distinct sounds of jazz, rhythm and blues, disco, Latino and afro-Caribbean beats with calypso. His songs have become a part of our soca anthems.

“Nelson’s genius is also to be found in his delivery. Audiences from North and South America, Europe and the Caribbean region have had the opportunity to experience a performance with the iconic jumpsuit, shoes and cap, and the best Caribbean wine, not of the drinking kind, that anyone can offer.”

After receiving his degree from Chancellor Robert Bermudez, he sang part of One Family, and his iconic Meh Lover.

By the time he started Meh Lover, graduates, visitors and professors alike were on their feet clapping and singing along with Nelson. The audience cheered as he invited Bermudez and then campus registrar Dr Dawn-Marie De Four-Gill to dance.

The noise level rose even higher when he started to raise his robes, and finally removed and waved them to give the audience a little wine.

Before all the excitement, Bermudez congratulated the graduates and commended them for “staying the course” through the challenges of the covid19 pandemic. He said they proved themselves to be strong, resilient, and determined.

He said they had a role to play in the country’s economic recovery and the fostering and nurturing the democratic principles in society, as social issues was important in both.

“This is not to say that you must undertake the role of government. Higher education plays a role in the democratisation of societies by encouraging graduates to be critical thinkers, to be objective in assessing the information available to them, and to be open to other schools of thought, in the hope that the information will be used for the advancement of the societies in which you exist.”

He also pointed out that traditional careers had transformed, many of the professions today did not exist ten years ago, and in ten years, some of today’s jobs may no longer exist.

“I ask that whatever you do in the future must be impactful, done at a high quality, with commitment to advancing not only your personal interests but the interests of the wider community.”

Valedictorian Patti-Anne Natalia Amina Ali, congratulated her fellow graduates on their ability to adapt to online learning and thriving – refusing to take the easy way out, figuring out logistics, developing the ability to prioritise, to discern, to adjust, to self-discipline and to trust themselves.

“How to focus on Caribbean civilisation when all of civilisation was crumbling before our eyes? How could this degree in the humanities assist humanity with its urgent wrestle for survival right now?

“Because humanity has never needed the humanities more. We have never needed the upliftment and enlightenment of the arts, sports, education and culture more. The world has never needed your critical understanding of Caribbean civilisation more, of how to face the terror and brutality of fear and still triumphantly claim your identity and agency.”

She added that their training gave them the opportunity to critically analyse things for themselves, including who they are and what matters most to them. As a result, their value should not depend on society or peer approval, or the perspective of social media.

“Should you ever feel different, should you ever feel “othered” because of your age, size, ethnicity, nationality, income level, gender, sexual orientation – please know that these are your unique assets and not your liabilities.

“Claim them fully because they make you richer, rarer and invaluable. Look at both sides of a story and know that your own story is your own. It is unique and worthy and only you can tell it. Your glorious and original journey does not need to resemble anyone else’s."