UWI bestows honorary doctorate on musical maestro
In introducing McIntosh to
Chancellor Bermudez, UWI
public orator, Dr. Francis Severin,
said UWI owes McIntosh
“a debt of gratitude for having
brought so much talent to the
fore”, stating that it is “evidenced,
for instance, by the
many times he was arranger,
keyboardist, technical producer,
pianist, music software
programmer and conductor
for some of the most prominent
calypsonians as Alston
Becket Cyrus, the Mighty Sparrow,
Explainer, Calypso Rose,
Obstinate, Short Shirt, Shadow,
Swallow, Lord Kitchener,
Crazy, Winston Soso, Duke and
others.
“This consummate and
renowned musician, arranger,
composer, musical director,
producer and educator, merely
wants to be remembered as
someone who tried his best and
made a contribution,” added Dr.
Severin, invoking “the powers
of the Council and the Senate
of the University of the West
Indies and bestowing upon
this most acclaimed Vincentian,
Caribbean and international
musician, Mr. Franklyn
‘Frankie’ McIntosh, the Degree
of Doctor of Letters Honoris
Causa.”
star Machel Montano will be
inducted during YGB’s virtual
ceremony.
“The organization is proud
to complete the roster of honorees
with the announcement of
their confirmed celebrities who
will be inducted into the
YGB Caribbean Music Entertainment
ICON Hall of Fame,”
said Gray, stating that the Caribbean
luminaries will accept
their honor “as one of several
highlights that commensurate
the 16th year celebration as
a national and international
awards platform.”
He said the awardees were
publicly selected through an
online voting poll that identified
“five top artists whose
body of work has impacted their
industry and community.”
Previous inductees were Tony
Rebel (2017), Richie Stephens
(2018), Bounty Killa (2019) and
Tanya Stephens (2020).
Gray also said that YGB
Entrepreneurial Awards continues
to pay tribute to the
legacy of Nina Simone, well
renowned singer, songwriter,
musician, arranger and civil
rights activist.
In 1969, Gray said Simone
recorded the song, “To Be
Young, Gifted & Black”, which
Caribbean L 34 ife, JAN. 29-FEB. 4, 2021
Vincentian musical maestro Frankie McIntosh in honorary
regalia. Frankie McIntosh
was “aimed to capture joy in
Black identity amid bloody civil
rights struggle.”
“Her music spans a broad
range of musical styles, including
classical, jazz, blues, folk,
R&B, gospel and pop,” Gray
said.
He said the YCB created an
awards category in 2010, “The
Nina Simone Artistic Excellence
Awards,” to identify individuals
in music, dance, art
and other genres.
Additionally, Gray said YGB
Entrepreneurial Awards will
acknowledge “Rising Stars”
across the United States, Canada
and Africa including: Michael
Rainey, Jr., American-Jamaican
actor on Starz Network Power
Book II – Ghost; Nigel Birch,
Jr., Canadian spoken word poet
and author; and Sheila Sheldon
Charles, Kenyan painter, model
and designer.
Due to current COVID-19
restrictions, Gray said the
annual Black Tie Awards Dinner
and Reception will be produced
virtually, with the option
for honorees to attend in person
at VIP Connected, 1120
Avenue of the Americas, midtown
Manhattan.
For more information, go
to www.ygbawards.com or
2021ygbawards.eventbrite.
com.
Continued from Page 33
She said Rytikal — who
has been pushed to fame with
major co-signs and a feature
on Audiomack’s visual series
“Hold a Medz” — “has been
tabbed by critics and fans of
music worldwide as one of
the next up in Reggae.”
“If you’re in the mood for
feelings of bliss and vibrancy,
then this new song and
visual colombo is for you,”
Driven said.
“Kranium ascends into
worldwide stardom, while
Rytikal embraces his newfound
fame,” she added.
You can stream “Block
Traffic” on all platforms and
watch the official video on
YouTube.
Jamaican singer Beres Hammond. Ajamu
Continued from Page 33
UWI said McIntosh, who was
born into a musical family, was
“always surrounded by music.”
It said that McIntosh, who
was trained in classical piano as
a young boy, joined his father’s
popular dance band, the Melotones,
at 10 and formed his own
band at 14.
In 1968, McIntosh moved
to New York to attend Brooklyn
College, where he earned a
Bachelor of Music and, later, a
Master’s degree from New York
University.
During his studies, UWI said
McIntosh played keyboard with
several Caribbean R&B and jazz
groups, and went on to study
with several musical icons,
including John Lewis of the
Modern Jazz Quartet, Zenon
Fishbein and US composer
Robert Starer.
In 1976/77, UWI said McIntosh
first forayed into the
world of calypso, arranging for
Becket’s successful 1977 Disco
Calypso album.
In 1978, he connected with
fellow Vincentian and Brooklyn’s
premier record producer at
the time, Granville Straker.
“The two went on to forge a
musical alliance that would last
decades,” UWI said.
Serving as musical director
and technical producer, it said
McIntosh arranged for dozens of
Straker’s calypsonians, including
Chalkdust (Dr. Hollis Liverpool),
Shadow, Calypso Rose,
Soso, Poser, Scorcher, Singing
Francine, Duke, King Wellington,
Machel Montano and Lord
Shorty, among others.
UWI said McIntosh’s classic
arrangements won Chalkdust
the Trinidad and Tobago Calypso
Monarch title in 1981, with
“Things that Worry Me”, and, in
1989, with “Chauffer Wanted.”
McIntosh’s work also won
Sparrow the Road March title
in Trinidad and Tobago in 1984,
with “Doh Back Back”, and for
Duke, in 1987, with “Thunder.”
“From Calypso to gospel and
reggae, Franklyn McIntosh has
worked his magic on music
from every English-speaking
Caribbean island,” said UWI,
stating that his work has been
honored with, among others,
an induction into the Sunshine
Awards Hall of Fame in New
York (2015) and recognition
by the Borough of Brooklyn,
the City of New York and the
United States House of Representatives.
UWI noted that McIntosh
has also appeared on a stamp
in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
and is recognized as a
diplomat.
Continued from Page 33
Caribbean music artists to be inducted
Kranium,
Rytikal
release
new single
/www.ygbawards.com
/www.ygbawards.com
