Marc Mertillo, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of France in residence in Saint Lucia, presented the insignia of Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters to Mr. Luther François on Thursday, February 24, at the official Residence of France.
This medal recognizes the recipient’s career and his work in the field of music, especially jazz, for his innovative and inspiring work that radiates in the Caribbean and internationally.
2022 marks the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Order of Arts and Letters (OAL), created in 1957. The OAL remains today an envied decoration, rewarding “persons who have distinguished themselves by their creations in the artistic or literary field or by the contribution they have made to the influence of the arts and letters in France and around the world” as recalled in the first article of the Decree n° 57-549 dated May 2, 1957.
The evening, which was dedicated to the recognition of a great Saint Lucian talent, a true “jazz man” to the Caribbean islands and far beyond, was an opportunity to listen once again to some of his compositions, thanks to a concert by the Saint Lucian jazz group ANEXUS in honour of Luther François.