Jamaica's Beloved Miss Lou Has Died

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While at York, I majored in English and Latin American and Caribbean Studies. With the guidance of such professors as Dr. Modupe Olaogun and Dr. Andrea Davis, Dr. Pablo Idahosa, Dr. Sharon Davidson, Dr. Michelle Johnson, Dr. David Chariand, etc., I was introduced to the work of Ms. Lou (the Honourable Louise Bennett) in an academic setting. The Program Director of our campus station CHRY 105.5 FM, Neil Armstrong (who now works at The Gleaner) was also someone who encouraged awareness of Ms. Lou's work, and introduced me to her on a community level. He actually provided me with material to use in presentations in courses that I was taking with some of the above mentioned course directors.

Through her, I was made aware of the academic exploration of Jamaica's rich nation language, and of the cultural icon that Ms. Lou was for Jamaica, the African Diasopra and Canada.

I was blessed to see her speak in person, as she mystified the audience with her stories. SHe needed little planning, but could go with the winds she felt in the moment and would still captivate. The weaving of her content and delivery is sweetly nestled into my memory. I hold the honour of seeing her in person with such experiences with Nelson Madela, Fidel Castro, Maya Angelou and Angela Davis (among others).

I have included her obituary as well as my favourite poem of hers "Bans a killin". The poem highlights how hypocritical it is to claim one branch of the English language as pure, and other branches as broken.

Love you Ms. Lou!

July, 26 - Jamaica’s beloved Miss Lou, the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley, has died.

She was 86 years old.Miss Lou passed away on Wednesday, July 26, at the Scarborough Grace Hospital in Toronto, Canada, after collapsing at home earlier in the morning.

Born in Kingston on September 7, 1919, Miss Lou was Jamaica’s premier folklorist, poet, entertainer and comedienne. As a cultural giant, she made Jamaica’s patois an accepted language through her poems. Famous for her radio shows which included “Laugh with Louise”, “Miss Lou’s Views” and “The Lou and Ranny Show”, she was also celebrated for her television show “Ring Ding,” popular among Jamaican children all across the island.

Jamaica’s Consul General to Toronto, Ms. Anne-Marie Bonner has expressed sadness and regret at the untimely death of Jamaica’s Ambassador of Culture.

“Miss Lou was a true leader. Through her courage, she gave a nation a language and a voice with which its people can express its culture. It was not an easy task in those days to challenge the status quo in such a profound way. But this ‘tallawah’ woman did it. She has contributed to our culture through folklore and acting.”

The Consul General called Miss Lou an outstanding daughter of Jamaica, who was loved and respected all over the world and particularly in Canada, her adopted home.

“Jamaicans everywhere salute Miss Lou for a life well lived. Walk good Miss Lou.”

Miss Lou has received many accolades and awards during her life, including Jamaica’s third highest national honour, the Order of Merit, in 2001. In fact, the cultural icon was slated to add to her numerous awards in a ceremony at the Jamaican Consulate this evening. She would have been presented with the 2006 Jamaica Independence Award Hall of Fame from the West Indian-American Association of New Jersey. Several members of the association were enroute to Toronto from the United States when Miss Lou passed away.

Miss Lou, who was predeceased by her late husband impresario Eric “Chalktalk” Coverley, leaves son Fabian and many “adopted” children. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.


Bans a Killin

by

Miss Lou (from Aunty Roachy Seh)

So yuh a de man me hear bout!
Ah yuh dem seh dah teck
Whole heap a English oat seh dat yuh gwine kill dialec!

Meck me get it straight, mas Charlie,
For me no quite understan
Yuh gwine kill all English dialec
Or jus Jamaica one?

Ef yuh dah equal up wid
English Language, den wha meck
Yuh gwine go feel inferior when
It come to dialec?

Ef yuh cyaan sing 'Linstead Market'
An 'Water come a me yeye’
Yuh wi haffi tap sing 'Auld lang syne’
An ‘Comin through de rye'.

Dah language weh yuh proud a,
Weh yuh honour an respec –
Po Mas Charlie, yuh no know se Dat it spring from dialec!

Dat dem start fi try tun language
From de fourteen century -
Five hundred years gawn an dem got More dialec dan we!

Yuh wi haffi kill de Lancashire,
De Yorkshire, de Cockney,
De broad Scotch and de Irish brogue
Before yuh start kill me!

Yuh wi haffi get de Oxford Book
A English Verse, an tear Out Chaucer,
Burns, Lady Grizelle An plenty a Shakespeare!
When yuh done kill 'wit' an 'humour',
When yuh kill 'variety',

Yuh wi haffi fine a way fi kill Originality!
An mine how yuh dah read dem English Book deh pon yuh shelf,
For ef yuh drop a 'h' yuh mighta
Haffi kill yuhself!