THE CONFERRAL of a knighthood by the Queen of England upon Jamaican-born bass-baritone Willard White may not be cause for mass excitement in our age of dancehall, neither do knighthoods from the Queen generate widespread applause, seeing that we place great importance on our own National Honours (and rightly so).It would be insensitive however, not to celebrate the signal honour paid to one of our own sons who has made a name for himself in the highly competitive field of operatic performance, a milieu in which people of colour, (our own included), are few and far between and where only the finest can receive the kind of accolades which have been given to Willard White. His accomplishments are outstanding by any measure. In his field, not only talent but determination and sheer hard work are required to survive, much less rise to the status of a headliner, acclaimed by critics in many countries. This he has accomplished and in so doing, has inspired pride among those who recognise the importance not only of his personal accomplishment but the significant boost it brings to the name of Jamaica.
Willard White, a man of modest background, hailing from Kingston, was educated at Excelsior High School under the tutelage of the late W.A. Powell, one of Jamaica's great educators and mentors who brought out the best in his students. Willard went on to study at the Jamaica School of Music and later was admitted to the renowned Julliard School in New York, where only the finest are accepted. It was not long before he was appearing with the New York City Opera and then it was on to the United Kingdom where he continued to excel, singing a range of challenging roles with premier opera companies and gaining the acclaim of even the most demanding critics. In time, he made it to the stage of some of the world's most famous opera houses including La Scala in Milan, noted for its impatience with anything which is less than brilliant. Willard White won their acclaim and respect.
White's career has taken him to many parts of the globe and, everywhere, he has been celebrated. Lately, he has been touring in the United States of America with a production re-living the great performances and spirit of Paul Robeson, an icon in the musical world, noted as much for the power of his voice as for his social activism. By all accounts, Willard White's representation does justice to the great man.
In all his many triumphs, Willard White has always professed his pride in being Jamaican and that despite the fact that he has lived outside the borders of his native land for many years, another member of the great Jamaican Diaspora which has become a topic of the moment.
The last time he was heard on-stage here was in 1995 when he came home to receive the Gold Musgrave Medal, a symbol of excellence awarded by the Institute of Jamaica. We believe that it is time for him to return again to share with a wider audience the power and mastery of a voice which the rest of the world describes in superlatives but which is little known and consequently not appropriately appreciated here.
In recent times, it has become the practice of the Government of Jamaica to bring home Jamaicans of outstanding ability to help celebrate our Independence. In that context, a visit and performance by Sir Willard White would be appropriate and highly welcomed. It would certainly help to emphasise the fact that Jamaicans are blessed with talents of many kinds and show our young people that we can excel just as well in Mozart as in Marley. We can be what we want to be, when we have the will to do it.
