Jamaica has lost one of its real icons in the death of Dr. the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley, O.J., D.Litt, widely regarded as the 'Mother of Jamaican Culture.' With the passing of Miss Lou, as the whole country knew her, comes the end of more than an era. It is the turning of a page in Jamaican history. It is the finale of a great production starring a superb actress, dramatist, lyricist, comedienne, social commentator, and so much more.
Those who took Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley lightly did so at their own peril as she often "played fool fe ketch wise". She was more than the sum of all the parts. Her remarkable career began as a young woman who dared to defy the conventions of colonial times and write in the native tongue of the people from which she came.
The Jamaican patois/dialect, call it what you will, has always proved contentious for some persons who saw and still see no virtue in what they call "bad English". They insisted and still insist that it will do no good for Jamaicans as citizens of the world. Miss Lou knew differently and gave voice to the story of her people, thanks also to the creative imagination of The Gleaner which published what she wrote. One is left to wonder what Jamaican cultural expression would have been like without such an outlet.
Her flair for performance earned her the distinction of a scholarship at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts, a prestigious honour hitherto unknown to West Indians. After making her mark in London, she returned home to enrich and enliven the local scene with all her many talents.
She worked in social welfare at a time when the hope was to build a new Jamaica. She worked with the Extra Mural Department of the University of the West Indies. She played a seminal role in transforming the Little Theatre Movement's Pantomime from an English import to a truly Jamaican/West Indian genre incorporating our own music, song, dance, folklore - and she contributed to every aspect.
She was a pioneer in the fledgling years of television when the objective was to hold a mirror to ourselves. Her unforgettable 'Ring Ding' set a mark for children's entertainment, yet to be excelled. On radio, she mesmerized with the 'Auntie Roachy' series which were gems not only of comedy, but social commentary.
Partnered by the late, great Ranny Williams, she helped to change the face of Jamaican popular culture. Her most enduring contribution, however, will be the body of work in the form of her distinctive poetry in Jamaican speech, which has been
recited by generations of children in the past, present and undoubtedly will be in the future.
In her latter years, when she relocated to Toronto, Canada, with her late husband, Mr. Eric Coverley, himself a distinguished actor and impresario, she drew criticism for seeming to abandon her homeland. She responded with acerbic wit: "Wherever she was, Jamaica was." In 2003, when the P.J. Patterson administration brought her home for a triumphant visit, (almost three years to the day yesterday when news of her passing reached here), she captured the hearts of Jamaicans of all generations.
She responded generously to the love and respect, acknowledging in one of her inimitable folk maxims, "Howdy and tenky bruck no square," an admission that it cost nothing to be polite. As Jamaicans at home and abroad celebrate her life today, how better to say our farewell than in the benediction which she often extended to others: "Walk good, Miss Lou - and may good walk with you."
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY RELECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
