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
