PEMBROKE PINES – Dr. the Hon. Barbara Gloudon, playwright and journalist told Jamaican nationals that it was important that they keep the Jamaican culture and heritage alive and more importantly, “not to keep it to ourselves.”
Recognizing that there is still work to be done, Dr. Gloudon said that it was necessary to do research and build archives in this regard, and to continue to share our culture and heritage with our children.
Dr. Gloudon was speaking at the second annual Louise Bennett Reading Festival, on Sunday (Feb. 1), at the Broward College South Regional Library, in Pembroke Pines. The event was the start of the Black History Month activities at the Broward County Library Division, being celebrated throughout February.
Titled “Defining Miss Lou and Her Impact on Jamaicans,” the festival was organized by the Broward County Library Division and the Jamaica Folk Revue to celebrate the life and work of the late Hon. Louise Bennett Coverley, O.J. Miss Lou died in July 2006 in Toronto, Canada, where she had resided for more than a decade. She was 86 years old.
Describing Miss Lou as a celebration of our culture today, Dr. Gloudon said that the cultural icon was “a prophetic being marked out to do something significant to free the tongue of the Jamaican people”.
Dr. Gloudon said that although Miss Lou was described as comedic, the laughter evaporated, emphasizing that the humor was a form of communication. But, she continued that Miss Lou’s work should be taken seriously encouraging the nearly 200 enthusiasts to read of Miss Lou’s journey through her social commentary, in order to see the relevance it bore to Jamaica’s development, as she gave voice to the feelings and thoughts of Jamaican people, the world over.
Referring to ‘Miss Lou of a particular time and of a particular mind, Dr. Gloudon likened her to other leaders significant of their time, for example, Jamaican National Hero, Hon. Marcus Garvey, South African leader, Nelson Mandela and even the newly elected President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, mentioning her fame to international status, as she developed and contributed to the Jamaican culture.
Elaborating on the illustrious career of Miss Lou, Dr. Gloudon reminded audience that Miss Lou was the first woman to be awarded a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Arts in London where she studied theatre.
Citing the many roles she filled during her career, she spoke of her uplifting our indigenous language through academic research and presentation. This, according to Dr. Gloudon, was distributed through her comedic talent, to the elite and ordinary people through the use of everyday dialect. She also commented on Miss Lou’s biblical wisdom which she put in folk language, much of which is also used today in the vernacular.
Her remarkable talent reminded us of our strengths, recognizing the depth of our language and allowing us to pass it on to generations, Dr. Gloudon said.
Speaking of the pantomime which is a British tradition, Dr. Gloudon, also pantomime playwright, saluted Louise Bennett, the ‘consumate performer’ for indigenizing pantomime in Jamaica while she partnered with the late Ranny Williams of “Miss Lou and Mas Ran” fame, as well as her late husband.
Using her cultural pursuits, Dr. Gloudon also spoke of Miss Lou’s involvement in the social welfare and development of the Jamaican children, using folkloric song and drama to develop the famous “Ring Ding” entertainment for them.
Other panelists defining contributions made by Miss Lou to the development of the Jamaican culture included, the Reverend Easton Lee on “Out of Many One People”, who made reference to the development of the dialect through the emerging of our multi-racial society. He used excerpts of short stories and poetry to demonstrate points of interest.
South Florida educators, Dr. Susan Davis and Dr. Hyacinth McBean, spoke on “The Impact of Louise Bennett-Coverley on the 60’s Generation” and “The Evolution of Patois” respectively.
Dr. McBean also echoed sentiments of saluting the late Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley for her contribution to the development of the Jamaican dialect as she illustrated how the language evolved historically. Then highlighting Miss Lou’s efforts to develop the language to its present art form.
On the other hand, Dr. Davis elaborated through a collection of letters she received through a survey from persons expressing the pride and profundity in the Jamaican dialect. They also mentioned Miss Lou’s passion and nurture of her pursuits and interest which led to her lifelong satisfaction.
Consul General Sandra Grant-Griffiths in her welcome remarks, also saluted the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley for her legacy which helped to shape the psyche of a resilient people, not easily ignored. “A people conscious of the diverse roots of our heritage but mindful that the African presence was as valid as any other.
A people who have come to the realization that the linguistic fruit of that melding of cultures: patois, however we write it, is a worthy and necessary instrument of our self expression.”
She indicated that Miss Lou’s poetry, prose and performance commentaries over the years, brought into prominence aspects of the concerns of nation building, reflecting the role, “not only of government, politics, economics and international affairs, but also of the cultural arts and the centrality of the voice of the people in that design.”
Several Florida based Jamaican artistes kept the audience entertained as they celebrated the work and life of Miss Lou through recitals of her music and verse.
