Sir Leroy MacLean ‘King Short Shirt’ Emanuel, a well-known calypso performer from Antigua and Barbuda, received a Doctor of Letters degree from the University of the West Indies, Five Islands. Sir MacLean extended his appreciation to everyone who had helped him and said he felt privileged and honored to have spent more than 60 years of his life upholding the culture of Antigua and Barbuda.
In his acceptance speech, Sir MacLean emphasized his dedication to using calypso to advance social justice, educate the public about important issues in Antigua, the Caribbean, the Afrocentric diaspora, and around the world, and serve as a voice for the underprivileged, oppressed, and economically marginalized.
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He pleaded with the graduates to take on some of these qualities and uphold their cultures as models.
Sir MacLean, who has won 15 times in Antigua and Barbuda and earned more than two dozen trophies as a formidable competitor, is known as a giant of calypso. He was the first person to win three contests in a row and the only person to claim three distinct Calypso “hattricks.”
The 81-year-old has won seven Road March championships and seven Caribbean Calypso competitions since entering the calypso scene in 1962.
With songs like “Lamentation,” “Tourist Leggo,” “Power and Authority,” “Nobody Go Run Me,” and “Vivian Richards,” King Short Shirt has delighted audiences in Antigua and Barbuda and around the region for many years. He has a special chance thanks to his music to shape Antigua and Barbuda’s identity.
The University of the West Indies’ commencement ceremony for the class of 2023 was held on Saturday, and over 7,500 new “UWI Pelicans” are anticipated to graduate.
