Singer and Westminster Honorary Doctorate Billy Ocean visited the University of Westminster to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his album Suddenly. During the day he had the chance to see his portrait as part of the University’s new Black History Year wall mural and listen to Music Production, Performance and Business BA Honours students perform.
The first stop of the day was the University’s new Black History Year wall mural at Westminster’s Regent Campus. The wall is one of two murals around the University’s campuses designed to mark Black History Year (BHY), an innovative initiative that celebrates Black history, stories, lives, politics, creativity and achievement all year round. Ocean’s portrait features on the wall alongside other notable Black Honorary Doctorates from the University, including The Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon and Levi Roots.
Westminster Music Production, Performance and Business BA Honours students Sarah Adesiyan and Joel Marquis-Kumba then took to the mic and performed to the music maestro. Joel opened by singing John Legend’s All of Me and Sarah followed with her own song titled Out of Touch. The pair then joined together and surprised Ocean with a duet of his song Suddenly. After their performance Ocean offered words of advice to the pair, discussing their different music styles, future hopes and their musical inspirations.
Ocean’s Suddenly is the fifth album from the Trinidadian-British R&B singer-songwriter. With over 30 million records sold in his lifetime, Ocean’s hits include Love Really Hurts Without You, When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Gets Going and Grammy winning Caribbean Queen.
About the event Ocean said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the University of Westminster celebrating amongst other things the 40th Anniversary of the Suddenly album. Outstanding performance by Sarah and Joel, especially the Suddenly duet. I was also impressed by the originality of Sarah’s song, Joel’s voice and his interpretation of a beautiful cover. Thank you to Simay and the staff for the interest in supporting the students in their activities. Thank you for inviting me.”
Sarah said: “Getting the chance to perform and talk to a legend within my field was incredibly special for me! It gave me that extra boost of reassurance that I am on the right path. Having similar thought processes in regards to managing a creative project allowed me to believe in myself more than ever before.”
Simay Sali Sevik, Development Manager for Major Gifts, added: “It was an honour to celebrate Billy Ocean’s remarkable contributions to music and his legacy as part of our Black History Year. This event not only commemorated the 40th anniversary of Suddenly but also provided a unique opportunity for our students to showcase their talents and connect with a music legend. Seeing our students perform Suddenly as a duet for Billy Ocean was a truly special moment, reflecting the power of mentorship and inspiration in shaping future careers.”
Providing Westminster students with the chance to learn from music legend Billy Ocean directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about studying Music at the University of Westminster.
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