Trinidad and Tobago

“Celebrant, chantwell, warrior, prophet, satirist, and purveyor of joy, delight and elation: raconteur of the folk tales of our daily grass-rooted life.” The OCC Awardee to whom such adultations belong is the Caribbean’s most celebrated and renowned entertainer, social commentator and ambassador extraordinaire, Dr. Slinger Francisco, whom the world knows as “The Mighty Sparrow”.

His cross-national Caribbean identity is born out of Grenada, his birthplace, and Trinidad and Tobago, his homeland since the early age of two.

H.E. Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson (ANR) former Prime Minister and President of Trinidad and Tobago is among the select group of outstanding Caribbean leaders to carry with pride the title of OCC, which was conferred on him in 1998.

The late Dr. William Gilbert Demas, son of Trinidad and Tobago, and former Secretary-General of CARICOM, was among those honoured in the first conferment of the OCC at the 13th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in 1992.

Dr. Demas’ career spawned tenures as Secretary-General of CARICOM and President of the Caribbean Development Bank, Chancellor of the University of Guyana and Chairman of the CARICOM Inter-Governmental Ministerial Conference reviewing the function and structure of the University of the West Indies.