Calypsonian Black Stalin is among a record 16 people to be conferred with honorary doctorates at the University of the West Indies graduation ceremony in October and November this year.

Stalin, whose real name is Leroy Calliste, will be conferred with the Doctor of Letters during the St Augustine campus ceremony.

In a recent release UWI stated that Stalin was considered to be one of the ‘major practitioners of traditional calypso, providing insightful social and political commentary in his compositions and in recognition of his tremendous contribution to Trinidadian culture’.

Stalin, who was awarded a Hummingbird Medal (Silver) in 1987, captured the Calypso Monarch title in 1979, 1985, 1987, 1991 and 1995.

The popular bard is known for hits like Better Days, Wait Dorothy Wait, Burn Dem, Caribbean Unity, We Can Make It, Come With It, Sufferers, Sundar, and the timeless hit Blackman Come Out to Party.