![]() ![]() It goes without saying that the late poet and folklorist made more than an impression on Ellington. We were mesmerised by so many things as she sat there preparing before she went into the studio to do Miss Lou's or Aunty Roachie Sey. She often sat in the production department at the JBC while she was working on her radio programmes. I was a young broadcaster at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, (JBC), at the time she was producing and presenting Miss Lou's Views and hosting Ring Ding. "I interacted with her, both in theatre and broadcasting. In the pantomime, she worked along with older folks but she also worked with several young people. "She always seemed to incorporate young people into whatever she was doing. She also shared her memories on Miss Lou's energy and spirit. She moved effortlessly between languages at the many conferences she attended and presentations she made," reminisced Ellington. Many of the Shakespeare plays were done at the Garden Theatre at Hope Road. "I had the privilege, honour and pleasure of seeing Miss Lou doing Shakespeare productions as well as other classics. Outside of the pantomime and her radio programmes and other offerings, which were deliberately designed to bring respectability to the Jamaican language, Miss Lou was an efficient 'bi-linguist', Ellington notes. "When people think of Miss Lou they think of the Jamaican language, our dialect, and rightly so. 'long time gal mi neva see yu, come mek mi hol u han.'įor Salmon, Miss Lou will always be a Jamaican legend.Īctress and broadcaster Fae Ellington has had the privilege to see a side of the well-loved Miss Lou that many aren't even aware of. "It was Ring Ding that I first saw her and she was always such an inspiration to all the children on the programme with the playing of games and the singing of rhymes. I had to take a picture with her," gushed Salmon. I could not believe I was actually touching her in the flesh. ![]() ![]() I also remember when she came to see Trash another Pantomime and she came backstage. ![]() "The Pantomime Company with Barbara Gloudon had a celebration for her (cannot remember if it was her birthday) at the Little Theatre and I performed excerpt from my favourite an Pantomime Schoolers for her. When she finally got a chance to meet her through the National Pantomime, it was a dream come true. Harris also observed that as an artiste Miss Lou utilised her skills to positively influence others.įrom the first time actress Terri Salmon saw Miss Lou on the children's television show Ring Ding, she was inspired. Thousands of Jamaicans, while being entertained by her work, were also empowered making her contribution to the social development of post-Independence Jamaica that much more substantial." "She was able to transmit complex social concepts and issues to the masses so that they were easier to absorb. However, she zoned in on what hit her the most about the late poet. She's my hero and my inspiration!" said Ellis.įor actress, playwright and director Dahlia Harris, there is no "one thing" about Miss Lou that she can pinpoint when it comes on to her impact on her life. Her impact on me is hard to put into words. She has this way of making everybody feel loved and important. His next encounter with her was at a workshop she was conducting while he was a student at school of drama. "What I remember most about Miss Lou is dancing on Ring Ding as a student of Trench Town Primary - the first time I met her," Ellis recalls.Īccording to Ellis, Miss Lou's energy and laughter stood out for him. She was something to behold on stage and has been an inspiration to many who are now inspiring others themselves.Īmong the many from the theatre whose lives she touched are comedian Owen Blakka Ellis, Dahlia Harris, Terri Salmon and Fae Ellington. This national treasure has left a rich legacy of creative pieces which include her poems and stories. Who knows what other treasure she would have managed to still impart to the world. HAD folklorist and cultural icon Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley - Miss Lou - been alive she would have celebrated her 92nd birthday on Wednesday, September 7, 2011.īut the cold hands of death snatched her away on July 26, 2006. ![]()
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