We felt immense pride at seeing Mr Orville Burrell, better known as the Grammy-winning Jamaican international recording artiste Shaggy, being presented with the honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at Brown University in the United States last weekend.

The Ivy League university honoured Mr Burrell for his accomplishments as an artiste and his service to others.

The citation recognising the award noted that Mr Burrell’s leadership and dedicated philanthropy through the Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation have inspired peers and musical legends to join him in concert to raise funds for more than $100 million in equipment for Bustamante Hospital for Children.

That is an awesome achievement for which this country should be extremely grateful because the State, by itself, has not been able to properly equip that hospital.

Over many years, Mr Burrell has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to helping Bustamante Hospital.

In fact, he was making financial donations there for nine years without seeking an ounce of publicity, which tells us that his intentions are genuine and not rooted in any desire for self-promotion.

People who really appreciate his effort will remember that he only went public with his philanthropy because he needed help as the needs of the hospital outweighed the contributions he was able to make.

Of course, Mr Burrell is not the first to use his popularity to assist charities or generate assistance for needy institutions or causes. Other famous people have done so for many years.

However, what is impressive about Mr Burrell is that he does not wear his philanthropy on his sleeve and has always been quick to share credit for the hospital’s improvement with other artistes who performed for free on the Shaggy and Friends concerts.

His wife Rebecca has been a tower of strength by his side, providing yeoman’s service to the Make a Difference Foundation.

Outside of Mr Burrell’s philanthropy, though, this newspaper recognises his massive contribution to the development of Jamaican music. We believe that had more of our artistes adopted his approach to the music business, Jamaica’s place in global entertainment would have been even greater.

Those who spend time fighting others in the industry rather than working on their talent should listen keenly to Mr Burrell’s acceptance speech at Brown University.

“Nothing,” he said, “showcases culture like stars and nothing shifts culture like superstars”, so he knew that he had to become a superstar with charisma, personality, and most important, work ethic.

Mr Burrell tells us he was well aware that record companies would not invest in Caribbean acts unless those acts produced high numbers in terms of sales. As such, he worked 10 times harder to make music 10 times better and more infectious than any other genre, even as it got him 10 times less.

That hard work has paid off. Mr Burrell is, today, among the most respected and recognised Jamaican acts worldwide. His craft and general conduct have led him to rub shoulders with the world’s leaders and shakers.

His charge to the Brown University class of 2020 to “never stop dreaming or be inspired” should resonate with Jamaicans here and abroad.

We thank Dr Orville “Shaggy” Burrell for his service to Jamaica and the world.