By: Joan Williams
When Louise Bennett, affectionately known as Miss Lou, was born in Kingston on September 7th 1919, her parents could ever 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 on 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. Lit.
From as early as age ten, her slew of talents began to emerge when she started to write 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 became her best friend, and in 1954, her loving husband. In explaining her early interest in language and culture, in an interview entitled “Miss Lou and the early Jamaican Theatre” produced by the National Library, she said that it was her exposure to women from all walks of life which stoked her passion. For her mother was 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 mother though, everyone was a lady from, “coal lady” to “governor wife lady.”
From an early age, what she observed from their interaction, was how important humor was in 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! The young Louise, taking it all in, became convinced that our language should become widely 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 with a burning desire to write.
Her creative drive was fueled by her love of the folk songs her mother sung every day. These songs were popular in her mother’s birth parish of St. Mary, but totally unacceptable in the schools where only English was used. Miss Lou would shake up the status quo by writing and performing in patois, including singing and so popularizing Jamaican folk songs with a wide audience.
In 1942 Miss Lou was awarded a scholarship to go to London to hone her acting skills at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She was given her own cultural program in London on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) radio, but this could not salve her longing to return to her homeland where she was determined to shake up the cultural norms.
Her first target for change was the annual pantomime put on by expatriates in Kingston, and performed in the Queen’s English. In 1948, she wrote and acted in, Bluebeard, a Jamaican version of pantomime. Not only was it written and performed in patois, but also, the characters, aspects of the plot and much of the humor reflected then current Jamaican political and social trends.
The Jamaicanization of pantomime totally revolutionized the theatre landscape in Jamaica. It opened up tremendous opportunities for playwrights, musicians, actors and designers and gave birth to Jamaica’s continuing fascination with and support for theatre in all its forms.
In the ensuing years, Miss Lou kept us entertained with programs such as the “Lou and Ranny” show on radio, and delighted her audience while educating children in the performing arts, with “Ring Ding” on Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC TV).
Her first book of poetry, published in 1966 was Jamaica Labrish. Never shy to perform on stage, with the publication of her poems, others, particularly children, began to perform her poetry. Jamaica Labrish has since been continuously in print with the most recent reprint being in 2005. I believe that her most impactful work was her influential publication Aunty Roachy Seh where our social consciousness as a nation was awakened, through her inimitable humor.
This year marks the 100th 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. Let us continue to enjoy her many talents, pay tribute to her and never fail to say, “Tenk yu Miss Lou”.
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Joan Williams is a Jamaican author and talk-show host who now lives in South Florida. Follow her on: https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/
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