TT mourns for Miss Lou

“Bennett’s death was as big a blow to Jamaica as the death of Kitchener was to us,” comedian Dennis “Sprangalang” Hall commented, as he compared the impact of the legendary actress and social commentator’s death with that of Trinidad and Tobago’s late calypso icon Aldwyn “Kitchener” Roberts.

Bennett, affectionately known as Miss Lou, died at the Scarborough Grace Hospital in Toronto, Canada, on Wednesday, after she collapsed at her home. She was 86. She broke the language barrier by using Jamaican dialect in her poetry and performances, through which she commented on the lives of the people. As Jamaicans, among them the country’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson. Miller and former prime minister PJ Patterson praised Bennett’s contributions, Sprangalang observed that Jamaica was better at honouring and preserving the legacy of its icons. “Jamaica was more prepared for that kind of eventuality. Nevertheless, it is a big blow to the Caribbean.”

Dancer and cultural activist Molly Ahee described Bennett, who influenced her own work in the folk arts, as an exemplar and pioneer. “A great soul has gone on. She was one of those who opened the doors for folk life to blossom and carried it with such pride that Jamaica and the Caribbean adored her,” she said.

Playwright Freddie Kissoon was at a loss for words before uttering: “Not only Jamaica, but the entire Caribbean have lost a wonderful, great, loving and extremely great artiste. I had the pleasure of meeting her at the inauguration of the West Indian Federation in 1958; oh, she was a very charming lady.” Albert La Veau, president of the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, also spoke of Bennett’s impact in the Caribbean. But president of the National Drama Association of TT, Davlin Thomas was more emotional. “It’s devastating. She was the premier storyteller of the Caribbean, the way she weaved her theatrics into her storytelling. A Caribbean icon, and we would sorely miss her.”

Bennett spent her late years in Canada, where she lived with her late husband Eric Coverley. The Jamaica Gleaner yesterday quoted Simpson-Miller who said Jamaicans regarded Bennett “as a close family member, part of their national landscape and a true representative of Jamaican hospitality, graciousness and charm.”