Louise Bennett

The beloved Louise Bennett, or Miss Lou, as she is affectionately called, is Jamaica's foremost
folklorist. In the 1940s, she published 5 books of poetry in patios. More than just a Jamaican folk
music recording artist, she was a champion of this music. On Jamaican Independence Day 2001,
she was appointed a Member of the Order of Merit (OM) for her contribution to the development
of Jamaican arts and culture. Miss Lou passed on July 26 of 2006 at the age of 86. Below is an
obituary from the Jamaica Information Service. This article describes her many accomplishments
outside of her recording career, a description of which appears thereafter.
Jamaica's beloved cultural icon, the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley (Miss Lou), has died. She was
86 years old. Miss Lou passed away today at the Scarborough Grace Hospital in Toronto, Canada,
after collapsing at home early this morning. Born in Kingston on September 7, 1919, Miss Lou is
Jamaica's premier folklorist, poet, entertainer and comedienne. As a cultural giant, she made
Jamaica's patois an accepted language through her poems. Famous for her radio shows which
included 'Laugh with Louise', 'Miss Lou's Views' and 'The Lou and Ranny Show', she was also
celebrated for her television show 'Ring Ding,' which was popular among Jamaican children all
across the island. Jamaica's Consul General to Toronto, Anne-Marie Bonner, expressed sadness
and regret at the untimely death of Jamaica's Ambassador of Culture.
"Miss Lou was a true leader. Through her courage, she gave a nation a language and a voice with
which its people can express its culture. It was not an easy task in those days to challenge the
status quo in such a profound way, but this 'tallawah' woman did it. She has contributed to our
culture through folklore and acting," she added.
The Consul General called Miss Lou an outstanding daughter of Jamaica, who was loved and
respected all over the world and particularly in Canada, her adopted home, where she resided for
more than a decade.
Miss Lou received many accolades and awards during her lifetime, including the Order of Merit in
2001; the Order of Jamaica in 1974; the Norman Manley Award for Excellence (in the field of
Arts); the Institute of Jamaica's Musgrave Silver and Gold Medals for distinguished eminence in
the field of Arts and Culture, and in 1983 the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from the
University of the West Indies.
The cultural icon was slated to add to her numerous awards in a ceremony at the Jamaican
Consulate this evening. She would have been presented with the 2006 Jamaica Independence
Award Hall of Fame from the West Indian-American Association of New Jersey. Several members
of the association were enroute to Toronto from the United States, when Miss Lou passed away.
In 2008, The Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA), celebrated its fifth
anniversary on Friday with the first induction for the Jamaica Music Hall of Fame. Louise Bennett
was an inaugural honoree, along such stellar company as Bob Marley and the original vocal
Wailers, Lord Flea, Count Ossie, Sister Mary Ignatius Davies, Vere Johns, Coxsone Dodd, Duke
Reid, Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook and "Jah Jerry" Hinds.
In 1954, Louise recorded "Jamaican Folk Songs", an LP on the Folkways label [F-6846]. This
release (along with others by Louise Bennett) is still available today on CDR or cassette via mail
order from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings at http://www.folkways.si.edu/. As seen to the right,
the CDR comes with a black and white Xerox of the original LP jacket, but courtesy, again, of
Olivier Albot, a cover scan from the original LP, as well as an alternate jacket from a 10" release
can be seen below. "Jamaican Folk Songs" has a number of things in common with Edric Connor's
"Songs from Jamaica ", aside from collecting a number of Jamaica's folk songs. Both albums
contain many songs that are part of the mento repertoire. Both included songs that were later

made famous by Harry Belafonte. Both albums feature a sparse arrangement, in this case just
backing vocals, hand drum and, on some songs, acoustic guitar.

1. Linstead Market
2. Chi Chi Bud
3. Hosana
4. Cudeila Brown
5. Day Dah Light [a. k. a.: Day O]
6. Dip Dem
7. Me Want Me Daughter
8. Under The Cocoanut Tree
9. Dry Weather Houses
10. How Do You Come Over
(a. k. a.: "De Ribber Ben Come Dung" or "Bamboo")
11. Hol' 'M Joe
12. Towns Of Jamaica
In 1951, Louise Bennett and The Caribbean Serenaders recorded one single of dance-band mento
on the UK Melodisc label:

"Linstead Market" (which is described on the label as a "Jamaican Rhumba"), backed with "Bongo
Man (described as a "Jamaican Christmas Song"). The latter is the "Wheel and Turn Me" melody
with additional lyrics.

The label credits the featured trumpet player, Leslie Hutchinson, as well as a supervisor, Denis
Preston. This British record of Jamaican music is the same age as the initial Jamaican singles on
the MRS label.
In 1983, "'Yes M' Dear' - Miss Lou Live" was re-released. It's readily available on a 1995 CD
re-release on the Sonic Sounds label, but be aware that it's billed as being by Miss Lou, rather
than Louise Bennett.
In this live performance of Jamaican folk songs, in addition to singing with an 8 piece band, Miss
Lou also performs some songs a capella, sounding like a sweet form of dub poetry. There's even
a guest appearance by Linton Kwesi Johnson. So irresistible is Miss Lou's good humor, that it
overpowers LKJ's normally serious demeanor, resulting in a funny LKJ! Between songs, she
lovingly discusses the language of Jamaica and tells stories, always with great humor.
The 1981 LP on the Boonoo label, "The Honorable Miss Lou" features many songs from Jamaican
folk/mento. I have not heard this LP, but Olivier Albot, who also supplied these scans says that
Louise sings and speaks. In 2009, I heard from Peter Ashbourne who produced, arranged and

played piano on this album (as he did for the "Yes M'Dear" LP) and has worked with Louise on
other project as well. He was kind enough to supply this description of this LP's dance band
sound and where it came from:

When the Kingston dance bands were required to play Mento as part of their playlist, it was
neither practical nor desirable to have the musicians roll out a Rhumba Box, Banjo, Maracas and
Clave in order to play a song. What eventually evolved was a style of playing the Mento with
dance band instrumentation - on electric (or acoustic) bass, electric guitar, piano, trap drum set,
and whatever other instruments were in that particular group - saxophone, flute etc. Certainly, in
some respects, it was a different sound from the traditional mento band, but since it was being
played by Jamaicans with similar aculturalization as the traditional players (albeit with the
possible 'colouration' of a broader musical vocabulary), the 'feel' would not change very much. If
a Jamaican dance or show band plays Mento, this is the type of sound you will get. This sound is
nothing strange in Jamaica today. It is this type of treatment that was given to the songs on the
"Honourable..." album. The arrangements for the Island Records album ('Yes M'Dear') are the
same arrangements.

Courtesy again of Olivier Albot is a rare Louise Bennett album released in 1970 on the Federal
label:
"Jamaican Anancy Songs"
In 2009, I heard an obscure blank-label Louise Bennett single called "Immunization". There are
two renditions at different tempos on either side of the single. The song is to the "Sweetie
Charlie" melody, but with new lyrics. It's a notable find, because it marks the first time Miss Lou
is singing to a rural mento backing, complete with banjo, shakers, etc.

Pictures of Louise Bennets Folk Music Records