Louise Bennett-Coverly, a true revolutionary.

 The entire month of September every year, should be dedicated to honor the late Hon. Louise Bennet-Coverley O.M., O.J., M.B.E. D. Lit. For not only was she Jamaica’s first recorded artist, a literary genius, comedienne, actress, teacher, poet and dramatist, but also a true revolutionary.

Naturally, I am not using the term revolutionary in a political sense but with respect to the fact that she, brought about complete and dramatic change to the Jamaican cultural landscape.

 It was by no means an easy task at all!

For she was born in 1919 (September7th) and started appearing on stage from 1929. This was at the height of the British colonial period. At that time, most still took umbrage at their subjects communicating with each other in a language they could not understand.

Stop and think therefore about the fight she must have received in the early days, in promoting the use of the Jamaican language which is today so widely loved internationally and even being taught at York University in Canada and Harvard in the USA.

I remember well, being a child in the 50’s and 60’s, and being prohibited from speaking 'Patois '(Patwah) both at home and school. In those days, our native language was disparaged by the British colonial establishment and their hangers-on’s, as being broken English which only the uneducated used.

Miss Lou however set the record straight and restored our pride in our African ancestry, when she taught us that our language was mostly derived from TWI, a West African language. Like all other major languages throughout the world, it also adopted a springling of words from other languages like English, Spanish etc.

If the backward attitude towards our native language prevails to some extent even today in some quarters, can you imagine the fights and condemnation Miss Lou had to face when she went on stage in the early days to recite her poems and perform in the skits she wrote in Patwah?

 According to Enclycopedia.com, in the 1930’s and 1940’s, “Some criticized her ‘improper’ manner of speaking—a stark contrast to the Oxford English spoken by educated Jamaicans—but her poems instantly became popular among Jamaicans on the island and abroad. The island's newspaper, the Gleaner, initially refused to publish her work.”

Hers must have been a lonely journey, but she was unfazed and soldiered on.

Despite her best efforts though, as a young Jamaican girl, I still was not able to speak my native language comfortably until I migrated to live in Canada in the late 60’s. It was wonderful, to, like the myriad of other immigrants there, have my ‘own language,’ Better yet, being able to communicate freely with my Jamaican friends while totally discombobulating outsiders, was priceless.

Not only was she outstanding in the dramatic arena, but when you listen carefully to her work, whether done comically or seriously, I dare say she was one of Jamaica’s most thoughtful and profound political commentators. I opine that her most impactful work is to be found in the series “Aunty Roachy Seh” where our social consciousness as a nation was being awakened, through her inimitable humor.

Miss Lou’s entire contribution has been so ground-breaking that it needs to be fully analyzed, appreciated and widely disseminated for the entire month of September each year.

Statue of Miss Lou in Gordon Town where she lived for years

In explaining her early immense interest in language and culture, in an interview entitled “Miss Lou and the early Jamaican Theatre” produced by the National Library, she explained that it was her exposure to women from all walks of life from an early age, which stoked her passion.

Her mother had been a dress-maker with clients ranging from the wives of governors and other “top a naris people” to those from the humblest circumstances. To her mom though, everyone was a lady, from “coal lady” to “governor wife lady.”

What she observed early from their interaction with her mom and each other, was how important humor was to conversation and most importantly, how everybody was speaking the language of the common people when they became comfortable.

In 1948, when the national pantomime was being staged by expatriates in Kingston and performed in the queen’s English, she wrote Bluebeard in patois and acted in it.

That totally revolutionized the theatre landscape in Jamaica. However the prejudices against our own language have persisted among some colonial minded individuals even today.

It is important to note that although promoting respect for and the use of Patwah, Miss Lou has never discouraged us not to learn and use other languages. That would have been an imbecilic attitude and she, being a great believer in each of us acquiring the widest education possible never trod that path.  

She spoke English flawlessly and I dare say if she was around today, she would encourage us all to.at the very least, get a working knowledge of as many languages possible, including Mandarin!

Her contribution to knowledge and culture and her role in opening the doors so that persons like myself can even be doing commentaries today in Patwah on You tube, (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj0wewemvZosv5SQNO3vnlw) demonstrates how far we have come from the days when I could neither speak my native language at home nor at school!

Thank you, Miss Lou.

 Talk Jamaican: Louise Bennett - YouTube

(160) Joan Williams, author - YouTube

https://youtu.be/EG_UIhU0uac

Miss Lou; Drama Queen Extraordinaire

In early September 2019, Jamaicans all over the world got together to celebrate the 100th anniversary  of the birth of our most revered cultural icon  Rt. Hon Dr. Louise Bennett-Coverly, lovingly  known as Miss Lou.

Guests mingle at the cocktail reception

Not to be left out, The Louise Bennet-Coverly Cultural Heritage Council in Broward County,  Florida, which is itself chaired by a cultural icon, Colin Smith, artist, musician, and dramatist, put on a magnificent show.

 It was dubbed 'Full hundred' and part proceeds from the event, are to be donated to the Edna Manley School of the Arts, in Jamaica,  so our culture can continue to wow the world.

Before the entertainment begun, the mood was set at a small cocktail reception but after that, it was pure niceness all the way.

The cultural show which followed was chaired by a well-known folklorist, Joan Andrea Hutchinson, OD-(the bumpy head gal) who, has demonstrated so far that she is indeed Miss Lou's natural successor.

The main two-hour entertainment package which was immensely enjoyed by the  full house at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, was professionally delivered (as usual!) by the Jamaica Folk Singers with masterful backing from the versatile Tallawah Mento Band, led by Colin Smith himself. 

Jamaica Folk singers in action

The opening segment appropriately called "Come mek we dance an' sing"  thrilled the audience with popular  Jamaican folk songs like "Long gal mi nevva si yu" made famous by Miss Lou herself.

Their performance was interspersed with contributions from  well known dub poet Malacai Smith and Maxine Osborne.

It was a great night memorializing the invaluable cultural awakening that this celebrated giant  has left for us and that event at Coral Sprigs will be remembered by all who attended, for years to come.

Even I, for Miss Lou's anniversary, wrote a tiny tribute about the influence that she has had  had on all our lives.

It is; "When Louise Bennett-Coverley affectionately known as Miss Lou, was born in Kingston on September 7^th 1919, her parents could never have imagined what an outstanding, poet, teacher, social commentator, actress, comedienne, expert on Jamaican language/culture and television star they were bringing into to the world of that fateful day. Neither could they have expected that she would be dubbed the “first lady of Jamaican comedy” and receive honors ranging from O.M., O.J., M.B.E., to Hon. D. Litt., in her short lifetime.

Members of Tallawah Mento Band at extreme right

However, from as early as age ten, her slew of talents began to emerge when she started to pen poems. By age fourteen, she staged her first paid stage performance.  It is not insignificant though that her extraordinary literary talent was initially discovered by Eric Coverley, who accidentally ran into a copy of one of her hand-written poems in his friend’s car. Instantly impressed, he invited her to perform it at a concert.

He eventually became her best friend and her loving husband.

In explaining her early immense interest in language and culture, in an interview entitled “Miss Lou and the early Jamaican Theatre” produced by the National Library, she explained that it was her exposure to women from all walks of life from an early age, which stoked her passion. For her mother had been a dress-maker with clients ranging from the wives of governors and other “top a naris people” to those from the humblest circumstances. To her mom though, everyone was a lady from, “coal lady” to “governor wife lady.”

What she observed early from their interaction with her mom and each other, was how important humor was to conversation and most importantly, how everybody was speaking the language of the common people when they became comfortable.

At the time, our own Jamaican language was not considered “acceptable “and was not widely used by those who had arrived, but clearly it was what everyone spoke once they relaxed!

This is what convinced the young Louise taking it all, that our language should indeed become nationally accepted and be brought out of the closet, so to speak.

When she was taken to the country to attend a Dinky Minnie which lasted eight days, there was no turning back for the young talent who had this burning desire to write.

Her creative drive - combined with her love for the folk songs her mom sung everyday which were popular in her birth parish of St. Mary but totally unacceptable in the schools where only English could be used - cemented the young poet’s desire to change it all.

Her first book of poetry published in 1942 was “Jamaica Labrish” and she was never too shy to perform on stage anywhere.  As her fame increased and her talents became recognized, she was awarded a scholarship to go to London to hone her acting skills at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. But even when she was given her own cultural program in London on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio, it could not salve her longing to return to her homeland where she was determined to shake up the cultural norms.

It was the pantomime being put on by expatriates in Kingston and which was being performed in the queen’s English, which became her first target for change. So, in 1948, she wrote in patois and acted in, Bluebeard. It totally revolutionized the theatre landscape in Jamaica.

In the ensuing years, Miss Lou kept us entertained with programs such as the “Lou and Ranny” show on radio and finally, delighted her audience while educating children in the performing arts, with “Ring Ding” on Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC TV).

Despite all her other achievements, I opine that her most impactful work is her influential publication “Aunty Roachy Seh” where our social consciousness as a nation is awakened, through her inimitable humor.

This is the 100 th anniversary of the birth of this great Jamaican lady whose influence on our language, social norms, culture and theatre can never be allowed to fade. So, it is incumbent on all of us to keep her flag flying while we never fail to say “Tenk yu Miss Lou.”