Meet the honorees of the 2012 Caribbean Heritage Month Cultural Extravaganza

To commemorate Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago's 50th anniversary of independence, the nations' best and brightest will be honored at the Caribbean Heritage Month Cultural Extravaganza on June 15, at the Miramar Cultural Center in Miramar, Florida, at 7:30 p.m.

In honor of this special event, get to know this year's honorees and their invaluable contributions through our weekly profiles.

Bob Andy

As one of Jamaica's most influential and prolific songwriters, Bob Andy has been capturing in song the disappointments and dreams of Jamaicans for generations.

Bob Andy first broke out onto the music scene as lead singer and one of the founders of landmark ska and rocksteady group, The Paragons. After leaving the group, Andy went on to record a string of hits for Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, including such songs as "Going Home," "Feeling Soul," "My Time," "Let Them Say" and "Too Experienced," which have all become standards in the genre.

In the 1970s, Andy also paired with fellow singer Marcia Griffiths to form the popular duo, Bob and Marcia, recording such hits as "Young, Gifted and Black" and "Pied Piper."

Andy's collection of work shows an extraordinary talent for writing poetic lyrics and melodies to portray the struggles and joys of Jamaicans, from sweet ballads to triumphant protest songs.

Andy also took time out from his music career to explore acting, where he starred as wise Rastafarian farmer, Luke, in the 1980 film Children of Babylon, with fellow Jamaican actress Leonie Forbes.

For his invaluable contribution to Jamaican culture, Andy was awarded the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) in 2006, for his gifts to reggae music.