By John Myers, Jnr., Staff Reporter
Jamaica's cultural icon, Dr. the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley, gracefully accepts the copy of a citation presented to her by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, at a special function held in her honour at Emancipation Park, New Kingston, Wednesday night. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
IN A blast of cultural extravagance, Jamaica's Ambassador of Culture, Dr. the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley (Miss Lou), was Wednesday night showered with a grand tribute of the type reserved for national heroes.
This was during a special civic ceremony to honour her at the year-old Emancipation Park, New Kingston.
At the ceremony, which was witnessed by over 2,500 people who filled the park and spilled over into the streets, Miss Lou was hailed as a true Jamaican heroine who has championed Jamaica's culture and dialect (Patois), in the face of much criticism and adversity both at home and abroad.
With the dialect being used in many of the tributes paid, the cultural icon was assured of, in no uncertain way, the indelible mark she has made in the building of the Jamaican landscape in the 41 years since the island got Independence.
TRAILBLAZER
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, in lauding the Jamaican folklorist, said: "Miss Lou helped us to break the barriers of cultural ignorance, she inspired confidence in ourselves ...Dr. the Hon. Louise Bennett-Coverley has enriched and empowered us all."
Poking fun at Miss Lou's distinct Jamaican accent, despite her extended stay in Canada, Mr. Patterson remarked: "Is suh yuh come afta yuh tan suh lang, not even likkle language gal; not even likkle twang!" - a line from one of her more popular poems.
"Miss Lou, more than anybody else, learned and taught us how to tek sinting mek laugh, tek kin teeth kiba heart bun, then she wove all of this together into a seamless tapestry and returned them to us in song and the spoken word to strengthen us on our journey," the Prime Minister continued.
Before presenting her with a copy of a citation from the Government, Mr. Patterson encouraged Miss Lou to return home. "Anytime the cold get too bitter and biting, not only feel free to come, but if yuh want help to pack up yuh tings and come, we will be there to pack up yuh tings and come wid yuh because we want you to come home," he said.
AIR JAMAICA LIFETIME PASS
He announced that as of April next year, Air Jamaica will resume flying to Toronto, Canada, and said Miss Lou would be welcomed on board at anytime. Will Rogers, senior vice-president of Air Jamaica, presented Miss Lou with a lifetime pass to travel on the airline.
Beaming with pride, and in a true Jamaican way, Miss Lou expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Jamaican people who gave her nothing less than a 'boonoonoonoos' welcome. She reminisced on her childhood days when people called her 'Miss Bibs' and would flock her. "This is the sort of love I got from the Jamaican people when I was growing up," she said, adding that "Lawd, it sweet mi, it sweet mi."
