Tribute to Miss Lou

[mapoui2]

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[mikesiva]

A great link, Maps....

Like many Jamaicans my age, I grew up watching Miss Lou's "Ring Ding" on Jamaican television.

It was great....

Louise Bennett was a true pioneer.

"Long time gal I never see you, come make me hold you hand."

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Here she is, comparing Jamaican patois being a "corruption" of English, while English is "derived" from Norman French and Anglo-Saxon!

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She was speaking in the 1970s, at a time when you had to speak standard English to be on TV in Jamaica. Now, last month when I visited Jamaica, presenters on both TV channels (TVJ and CVM) are proud to speak in patois. She was truly a pioneer....

[mapoui2]

wonderful mike

Miss Lou in particular was a ligitimizer of west indian culture, nationalistic, a codifier and recorder of the life of the people

A great west Indian

[mapoui2]

http://louisebennett.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mapoui2]

"Colonization in Reverse" (1966)[edit]

"Wat a joyful news, Miss Mattie
I feel like me heart gwine burs
Jamaica people colonizin
Englan in reverse.
By de hundred, by de tousan
From country and from town,
By de ship-load, by de plane-load
Jamaica is Englan boun.
Dem a pour out a Jamaica
Everybody future plan
Is fe get a big-time job
An settle in de mother lan.
What a islan! What a people!
Man an woman, old an young
Jus a pack dem bag an baggage
An tun history upside dung!
Some people doan like travel
But fe show dem loyalty
Dem all a open up cheap-fare-
To-Englan agency.
An week by week dem shippin off
Dem countryman like fire,
Fe immigrate an populate
De seat a de Empire.
Oonoo see how life is funny,
Oonoo see de tunabout?
Jamaica live fe box bread
Out a English people mout'.
For wen dem ketch a Englan,
An start play dem different role,
Some will settle down to work
An some will settle fe de dole.
Jane say de dole is not too bad
Because dey payin she
Two pounds a week fe seek a job
Dat suit her dignity.
Me say Jane will never fine work
At de rate how she dah look,
For all day she stay pon Aunt Fan couch
An read love-story book.
Wat a devilment a Englan!
Dem face war an brave de worse,
But me wonderin how dem gwine stan
Colonizin in reverse."

[mapoui2]

dat deh is fuh the test here who like to bawl nonsense about immigrant runnin' away from de region..abandonment

[Gils]

Nice Maps, that woman had a way with words , and knew exactly how to lift the spirits.

Only last month I friended her on face book. Friended, me can seh dat .

[howzdat]

This is why i love this place; thanks to you all. Childhood days.

[mikesiva]

Colonization in Reverse...that's my favourite poem.

Especially with all those rabid anti-immigrant UKIP supporters in England....

[MarcusGarveyLives]

"Today marks the 98th anniversary of the birth of renowned folklorist Louise Bennett-Coverley, better known as Miss Lou. It also marks the closing date of a petition to have her named an official National Icon.

Up to yesterday, the signatures for the petition was nowhere near the 15,000 required for it to be considered for discussion by the Office of the Prime Minister, which organised the portal on its Jamaica House website. The petition attracted 1,477 signatures or just shy of 10 per cent of the target ..."

Petition falls flat: One, one signature fails to fill Miss Lou's basket (click for more)