Hon. Dr. Louise Bennett-Coverly O.J. MBE D. Litt. 50 years contribution to Jamaican Arts and Culture.

"One of the real originals among creative humanity and a genuine icon of the Jamaican sensibility, mirroring both the true nature of significant aspects of both her society and human condition ……………."

Pro. Rex Nettleford

Miss Lou is Jamaica's first lady of comedy but she is much more than that. Beneath the entertainment and the humour Miss Lou makes us look at ourselves, sometimes laugh at ourselves, but always in the knowledge that we have worth. Born in Kingston, she was educated at Ebenezer Primary School, Calabar Elementary, St. Simon's College and Excelsior. It was at Excelsior that she found happiness, she says. It was there that she got the encouragement to write and the opportunity to perform her works at variety concerts. Her first performance, for which she collected the professional fee of one guinea, was at the Coke Methodist Church Hall in Downtown Kingston. It was a Christmas morning concert in 1938, organized by Eric Coverly whom she met at Excelsior. They married in New York in 1954.

Louise Bennett-Coverly is loved by all Jamaicans here and aboard. Teaming up with the late Ranny Williams, Miss's name became synonymous with the annual pantomime at the Ward Theatre. Some of us remember her, again with Mas Ran, coming live on radio from the stage of the Carib Cinema - the Lou and Ranny Show. And yet another generation, using another medium, think of Miss Lou as ……. "there's concert here for all a we, there's concert here today ………… RING DING …………." Twelve years ago on JBC Television, bringing together children from all walks of life. Miss Lou made sure that Jamaica's rich and deeply rooted heritage was not lost to those who were lucky enough o appear on the programme, and to those thousands at home who watched. Miss Lou brought pride and a sense of belonging to Jamaicans aboard. She hosted her own show on BBC Radio. It is not surprising the currency that her work has in Panama where generations of Jamaicans hunger for something from home. Miss Lou has contributed to the retention of Jamaican speech and ties which exist among Jamaicans there.

Cari-Folks Singers salutes Miss Lou …" highly skilled performer … serious scholar …… persistently amusing …. Never merely frivolous …… helping us to understand and celebrate our language, our culture and ourselves."

Prof. Mervyn Morris