Peter Espeut
My brother David would often take her stew peas - her favourite - almost every Friday, and so I would regularly get news of her. I last visited with her nine months ago. My sister Mary took me straight from the airport to her apartment. She was expecting me, and we chatted for hours, remembering old times.
I did not have a guitar with me. On previous visits I would take David's guitar, and I would play and she would sing. Simone Louise Bennett loved to sing. It was not all acting. Even with just two or three of us there she would run from one song into another, asking if we remembered this one, and that one. And as I would begin an unremembered one, her face would break into a broad smile of delight, and she would sing her heart out.
'Mr. Music'
My friend Mark McLaughlin and I had the pleasure to perform on the first two episodes of Ring Ding; so we were the first to be called "Mr. Music" by Miss Lou on that long-running series, and asked would we please play. So many children grew up with Miss Lou as their mother and teacher through those shows, learning Jamaican culture, song and story at her feet. In doing this, she did not promote herself; she promoted Jamaica and things Jamaican as something positive, valuable and uplifting, and the rising tide lifted us all, whether we realise it or not.
I am of the generation that would huddle in front of the Telefunken every Sunday night to listen to the Lou and Ranny Show, about life in Susumba Walk; I am scandalised that only one episode of that long-running series has survived. I would love to hear them all again!
And then there were the pantomimes. My all-time favourite was Queenie's Daughter. The LTM published the sound track on an LP, and I played it over and over; my wife and I still play it. In her apartment in cold Canada, Louise would delight in singing those songs, many written by her and another old friend, Mapletoft Poulle. After singing with her and experiencing her presence, my wife Velia was in tears, overcome by the power of the woman.
'Samfie man'
Too often in Jamaican tragicomedy, the 'hero' - in whom we see ourselves - is a 'samfie man', or a criminal, or a country bumpkin (the subject of ridicule). But Louise the hero always played the role of a mother, a Jamaican woman (usually in adverse circumstances) who wanted the best for her children and her community. And yes, there was always a 'samfie man' around (often played by Mass Ran), and yes there were always obstacles in the way, but by the end of each pantomime the 'ginnal' was exposed and the hurdles were overcome, and the hopes we had for the characters were realised. And we left the theatre with the hope that maybe in real life we could do it too; for the story was about ourselves and was unapologetically and unashamedly in our language, with our own deep-felt experiences. We went to look at ourselves and we enjoyed what we found: good positive images, good role models to follow. I believe that Louise's performances must be considered nothing less than people empowerment and nation building from the grass roots up!
She ran her own values and attitudes campaign, a (successful) crusade to improve the image we Jamaicans have of ourselves through acceptance of the every-day language we speak. So many of us were put down and made to feel inferior because we didn't (and sometimes couldn't) speak the Queen's English; for many it meant relegation to the back pages of Jamaican society and economy.
Order of national hero
For this reason, many years ago in this column, I nominated Miss Lou to receive the Order of National Hero. I repeated it in a column published on May 30, 2001, on their 47th wedding anniversary, and was happy when later that year she was awarded the Order of Merit.
But that is not enough. She has had a greater positive impact on Jamaica than some that bear the title National Hero, and deserves more.
Tomorrow will be the nine-night. Walk good, Miss Lou. And may good duppy walk with you!
Peter Espeut is a sociologist and musician, and is executive director of an environment and development NGO.
