[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 104 (Monday, June 23, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO A GREAT COMPOSER, IRVING BURGIE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 23, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the amazing 
accomplishments of one of America's greatest composers, Irving Burgie; 
and to enter into the Record an appreciation by Tony Best from New York 
CaribNews for the week ending June 3, 2008, titled ``Hailed Irving 
Burgie with Honorary Doctorate, Tribute to Composer of Some of the 
World's Most Memorable Music.''
  Mr. Burgie is most known for his work with Harry Belafonte for whom 
he composed 34 songs between 1955 and 1960. He composed 8 of the 11 
songs on Belafonte's Calypso album, which was number 1 on the Billboard 
Charts for 32 weeks and remained on the charts for nearly 2 years. 
``Calypso'' was the first album of any kind to sell over a million 
copies, thus making Burgie and Belafonte one of the most successful 
singer-writer collaborations in recorded music history.
  Growing up in the West Indian section of Brooklyn, Mr. Burgie became 
interested in music of other cultures in his travels as a soldier in 
World War II. He enrolled in the Julliard School of Music, developing a 
broad knowledge of song literature. His songs not only changed the 
culture of music but changed the way people taught their children about 
music. The article describes his music, as music ``that brings hope and 
puts smiles on faces of people across the globe.'' Mr. Burgie has left 
a lasting mark on music for many generations.
  In addition to his outstanding musical career achievements, Mr. 
Burgie has been very generous in his philanthropic efforts to improve 
the lives of students interested in pursuing a career in music. Mr. 
Burgie has dedicated his life to making the world a better place 
through his artistic and charitable efforts and he is truly deserving 
of the honorary doctorate presented to him by St. John's University.

                   [From the Caribnews, June 3, 2008]

              Irving Burgie Hailed With Honorary Doctorate

                             (By Tony Best)

       ``Concrete examples of committed lives.''
       The Rev. John Kettleberger, St. John's University's 
     Director of Residence Ministry was describing two outstanding 
     public figures in the United States, Irving Burgie, composer 
     of some of the world's most memorable music and Sister 
     Anthony Barczykowski, Executive Director of Community Service 
     for the Catholic Church's Archdiocese of New Orleans.
       Both the composer, an artiste with strong Brooklyn and 
     Caribbean roots, and Sister Barczykowski, whose work in New 
     Orleans after the Hurricane Katrina disaster ``brought hope'' 
     to the survivors of the floods and gale force winds that left 
     thousands homeless were hailed before an audience of at least 
     10,000 students, faculty, parents, relatives and friends of 
     the 2008 graduating class.
       Each was presented with honorary doctorates of Humane 
     Letters and they were praised for their ``commitment to 
     service'' to others and for the way they channeled their 
     energies and outstanding talents for the good of humanity.
       Actually, the Rev. Kettleberger spoke about the two 
     honorees as he delivered the invocation at the beginning of 
     the 138th commencement exercises at one of America's leading 
     Catholic schools of higher learning. With almost 3,000 
     students graduating with Bachelor's, Master's and doctorates, 
     the afternoon of pomp, ceremony and stirring commencement 
     addresses by the Rev. Dr. Donald Harrington, St. John's 
     President, and Whitney Coleman, a graduating senior of the 
     College of Liberal Arts and Science, who spoke on behalf of 
     all the students, was underscored by the smiling faces and 
     tears of joy that flowed freely as proud parents and some of 
     the students themselves were affected by the emotions of the 
     moment. ``It was truly an emotional moment for me,'' Burgie 
     said afterwards as he reflected on the tears he shed on being 
     lauded and presented the doctorate from the University's 
     President. ``I was thinking of my wife who died recently, 
     about the pleasure she would have enjoyed if she were present 
     on this occasion,'' he said.
       ``But it was also emotional to have my sons, their wives 
     and a granddaughter to share this honor with me,''
       Burgie, who had previously received an honorary doctorate 
     from the University of the West Indies, was described by Dr. 
     Julia Upton, Provost of St. John's, as a ``man who used his 
     special gifts to lift the hearts'' and the ``spirits'' of 
     tens of millions of people around the world.
       As she explained it, Burgie, the son of a West Indian 
     mother used his music to ``bring hope'' and put ``smiles'' on 
     the faces of people across the globe, often at times of great 
     challenges. Indeed, few artistes anywhere had enhanced the 
     national and global landscapes with their music like Burgie, 
     whose songs, among them ``Day-O,'' ``Island in the Sun,'' 
     ``Mary's Boy-Child,'' and ``Angelina,'' were made famous by 
     Harry Belafonte, Dr. Upton said. They sold more than 100 
     millions in the 50-plus years since they first came onto the 
     musical scene in the 1950s. Most of the songs on the Harry 
     Belafonte album, Calypso, propelled the collection to the top 
     spot on the Billboard Charts and enabled it to become the 
     first album in the history of recorded music to sell a 
     million copies. But he wasn't simply recognized for his 
     artistic triumphs. Burgie, who was recently inducted into the 
     Song writers Hall of Fame in the United States was heralded 
     for the more than $100,000 in scholarships he gave over 25 
     years to Bajan youth to encourage their writing skills and 
     the musical scholarship endowed by ASCAP to help American 
     students pursue their musical careers.
       In essence, then, both Sister Anthony and Burgie had 
     devoted their lives to the task of making the world a better 
     place and proof of their success can be seen in the hope they 
     had inspired in successive generations, St. John's University 
     stated.
       The emphasis on ``hope'' was at the core of the President's 
     commencement address. He pinpointed many of the serious 
     challenges the world was facing and they ranged from the 
     global economic downturn; starvation in Africa; and the 
     global food crisis to the divisive presidential campaign in 
     the United States; and the devastating wars in Iraq and 
     Afghanistan which have cost more than 4,000 Americans and 
     trillions of dollars in U.S. and British taxpayer money.
       But he wasn't disheartened by the monumental task at hand.
       Indeed, the President said he was ``optimistic'' because of 
     the many, ``wonderful people'' who had worked hard to 
     transform society, Burgie and Sister Anthony included, and 
     because of the young people, especially the members of the 
     graduating class who were prepared to assume their roles in 
     society.
       Coleman, the Black student who spoke for the entire class, 
     emphasized the importance of ``giving back'' and the need for 
     individuals and society to ``re-fuel'' when their tanks were 
     running low. Just as important was the need to put the 
     ``exemplary education'' the students had received at St. 
     John's to produce. It was, she asserted, a kind of 
     ``roadmap'' that would guide them at the beginning of life's 
     journey and would help them along the way. At the end of the 
     ceremonies, Burgie who was born and grew up in Brooklyn but 
     whose music has made him a world citizen summed up the 
     situation: ``It was simply wonderful. I thank St. John's for 
     the honor.''




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