Barbados is Proud of their Hometown Star
EVERY BARBADIAN should be proud of the success of Rihanna.
This terrific teenage talent continues to bring honour and acclaim to our little island through her phenomenal success on the global music stage.
Her most recent accolades, the winning of two Music Television (MTV) awards at their annual ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sunday night is yet another reason for joy.
The 19-year-old, whose 2007 single Umbrella spent ten weeks at No. 1 in Britain, took MTV’s Monster Single Of The Year award, beating the likes of Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West and Amy Winehouse.
Rihanna also scooped the coveted Video Of The Year award, again for Umbrella.
This triumph is a big deal, and much should be made of it.
The awards won by Rihanna are two of the most prized. What’s more, she was second only to Timberlake, an American, in the amount of trophies won by an individual. He took home four.
That apart, the MTV Awards are the most prestigious television music awards and are anxiously looked forward to by artistes and fans alike. Success here brings even greater recognition, and further enhances the reputation of the entertainer.
And, as a clear indication of just how much this Bajan songbird is growing in prominence, she was also selected to perform live during the ceremony, which was telecast world-wide via the BBC, ABC, MSNBC and other major networks to a global audience of several million people.
Since Rihanna burst onto the world scene in 2005 with Pon De Replay, she has had No. 1 hits in the United States, Britain, Brazil, Australia, Canada and Germany.
In 2006, Rihanna participated in several endorsement deals, including a US$20 million contract which made her the face of world-renowned sportswear giant Nike – the first entertainer to achieve that. She also endorsed a new line of trendy jeans for the JC Penny clothing chain.
She also made her acting debut in a cameo role in Bring It On: All or Nothing, which was released on August 8, 2006, and appearedas well in an episode of American soap opera All My Children and the drama Las Vegas.
Other accomplishments include performing at the Japanese leg of Live Earth in Tokyo this July, and recently being named 2007 Venus Breeze ‘Celebrity Legs of a Goddess’ by Gillette, whereafter she insured her legs for $1 000 000. Ironically, she injured her left foot some time after.
On Monday, the day after the MTV Awards, Rihanna appeared on the first Tyra Banks Show for the season in New York. She also started the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour of Canada on Wednesday in support of her album, with several shows also planned for Britain afterwards.
Not bad for this fresh-faced Barbadian who just three years ago was a secondary school student with only dreams of stardom when she won the Miss Combermere Beauty Pageant.
Clearly Rihanna is Barbados’ most recognisable icon today. And her unmistakeable Bajan accent makes it plain she is proud of who she is and where she comes from.
With this in mind, we urge the Barbados Tourism Authority to continue to work with Rihanna and use her positive profile to promote this country around the globe.
Everybody loves a winner, and Rihanna is that and more; her success is Barbados’ success.
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