Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is leading tributes to Sir Charles Emile Straker, who passed away early this morning.

She says Sir Emile was one of this nation’s most beloved cultural icons, a son of the soil and the unmistakable voice of the internationally renowned Merrymen, and notes his passing is a national loss.

She says for more than six decades, Sir Emile’s voice, songwriting, musicianship and generosity of spirit helped tell Barbados’ story to the world.