Barbados hails Rihanna ‘national hero’ as it becomes republic

Rihanna has been declared a national hero of Barbados, as the country celebrates its transition to an independent republic.

The country’s prime minister, Mia Mottley told Rihanna at an investiture ceremony to continue to shine like a diamond.

Rihanna is Barbados’s most famous citizen and in 2018 was appointed an official ambassador for culture and youth.

She has never softened her Bajan accent, and her music, while tapping into pop, R&B and dance music, has remained connected to her Caribbean heritage.

Mottley said the superstar commanded the imagination of the world through the pursuit of excellence with her creativity, her discipline, and above all else, her extraordinary commitment to the land of her birth.

The Guardian reports Rihanna who is now 33 was born in Saint Michael and raised in the capital, Bridgetown.

She was propelled to fame after the American producer Evan Rogers recognised her talents.

Her 2007 single Umbrella confirmed her as one of the world’s biggest pop stars, and in 2008 the then prime minister, David Thompson, announced an annual Rihanna Day.

[Source: The Guardian]