The annual commencement concert took place the previous evening at Agganis Arena and featured many of Berklee’s most talented graduating students paying tribute to the honorees by performing their music, including Usher’s smash hits “Yeah!,” “U Remind Me,” and “Burn,” among others. The artist joined students on stage at the conclusion of the concert to sing the final notes of “Without You.” Flack’s tribute included “Killing Me Softly,” “Feel Like Making Love,” and her iconic cover of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” Students performed a panoply of Jobarteh’s music, concluding with “Musolou,” where she joined performers on stage to sing and play the kora.
Global megastar and eight-time Grammy Award winner Usher was recognized for his tremendous artistry and profound influence on R&B music. He was also lauded for his role as a devout humanitarian, raising tens of millions of dollars for various causes and uplifting youth via his New Look Foundation, which has provided opportunities for young people in underserved communities since 1999.
Known for her timeless vocals and legendary songwriting abilities, Flack was hailed as one of the greatest songstresses of our time, unparalleled in her ability to tell a story through her music. She was honored for enriching the lives of others through her humanitarian outreach with the nonprofit Feed the Children and the Roberta Flack School of Music in the Bronx, and her role as author of The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music, her debut children’s book with Tonya Bolden.
A musician and educator from the Gambia, Jobarteh was born into one of the five principal griot families in West Africa, a hereditary tradition that dates back over 700 years to the Mali Empire. She is the first woman within this ancient tradition to master the kora, a 21-string instrument from the Mandeng regions. Jobarteh delivered the keynote address at the inauguration of President Erica Muhl in April, where she was recognized for her boundary-breaking role in Gambian music as well as for her work as an educator and activist.
This year’s honorary doctorate recipients were celebrated for cementing a place in popular culture as artistic innovators, unique creators, and community advocates who continue to connect and inspire global audiences everywhere. Past recipients from the college include Duke Ellington (the first, in 1971), Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Celine Dion, B.B. King, Quincy Jones ’51, esperanza spalding B.M. ’05, Justin Timberlake, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Lionel Richie, Missy Elliot, Carole King, Willie Nelson, George Clinton, Plácido Domingo, Annie Lennox, Gloria Estefan, Lalah Hathaway ’90, Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, and Smokey Robinson.