Friday, March 29, 2024

Li’l Rick honoured

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Ricky “Li’l Rick” Reid, a past student of the Garrison Secondary School, now Graydon Sealy School, was honoured yesterday for his outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry.
He received an award from the school for his success as a young businessman, his contribution to the entertainment sector and, above all his outstanding creative potential that has seen him fashioning what history will record as the Li’l Rick ‘brand’.
The award was given to an emotional Reid in the presence of fellow entertainers Anthony Mighty Gabby Carter, Nathalee Burke and broadcaster Anthony Admiral Nelson and past and present staff and students.
Almost lost for words, but with a smile on his face, Reid who is one of Barbados’ most popular entertainers, said that when he was called to the school for something important, he had not expected the surprise that awaited him.
“I want to say thank you to everyone. I have been a lot of places and done a lot of things but this right here stands out to me. Usually, I have to go in a competition, I have to fight, I have to put in my all to get something like this. It stands out because it comes from the heart,” he said.
Amidst the screams and applause from the students, whom he teased with lyrics from several of his popular hits, Reid also encouraged them to believe and love themselves and to keep their heads up as they made themselves, their parents, the institution and society proud.
He warned the female students: “Keep your head on because there have some big hard-back men that would walk up to you and tell you that you are sexy, you look good and they want you, but keep your head on.”
Gabby said the honoree was clearly one of the most outstanding artistes Barbados had produced.
He added that it was fitting for Reid’s former school to honour him.
“I am happy for him. I am happy that he has given us all the music that he has and I wish him all success in the future,” said Gabby.
Principal Matthew Farley said he couldn’t wait for the day when the University of the West Indies’ linguistics department researched the works and artistic career of Reid.
According to him, the story of the Garrisonian was a story of the tremendous impact that entertainers could have on the populace in general and on the youth in particular.
Farley added that “it was a story of the tremendous creative potential that lies deep within our communities and which needs to be given opportunity for growth and development”.
“It is a story of the extent to which the cultural industries need to be recognized for their contribution to the economy.    At the level of the education system, the Li’l Rick story is a stark reminder that schools must do everything possible to develop creativity rather than kill it.
“It is a story of the need for teachers to acknowledge multiple intelligences among their students and foster the necessary environment for their development.”
Farley also noted that the story of Lil Rick was a “clear demonstration that regardless of where you come from, whatever may be your origins, whatever may be your past, it is you and only you that can carve out that niche by which you will make your contribution”.
“This versatile maestro of multiple moods, rhythms, vibrations and gyrations in spite of his tremendous success has remained humble and loyal to his Barbadian identity,” Farley said.
Some of Reid’s achievments included winning Party Monarch title Down Behind de Truck in 1998, with Hypa Dawg in 2002 and also Road March that same year. He won Party Monarch again in 2003 with Mash up And Buy Back and took Road March that same year with the same song.(AH)

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