Giving Miss Lou Lip Service

[Mosiah]

Giving Miss Lou Lip Service
Published: Sunday | September 11, 20110 Comments
Carolyn Cooper, Contributor

Last Wednesday was Miss Lou's birthday and the usual platitudes were spouted about her valuable contribution to Jamaican society. I wonder if we really understand just how revolutionary Louise Bennett's vision was. Her advocacy of the Jamaican language challenged popular assumptions about what it meant to be black in colonial Jamaica.

This is how Miss Lou put it in a 1976 television interview: "When I was a child, nearly everything about us was bad, you know; they would tell yuh seh yuh have bad hair, that black people bad ... and that the language yuh talk was bad. And I know that a lot of people I know were not bad at all, they were nice people and they talked this language."

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...cleisure3.html

[Mosiah]

So, we big up Miss Lou, but still we have no clue about what she really stood for.

For many of us, Marcus Mosiah Garvey is our greatest National Hero. But do we believe in his beliefs? Hell no!

We are a dumb people!

[Historian]

Re: We are a dumb people!

So, we big up Miss Lou, but still we have no clue about what she really stood for.

For many of us, Marcus Mosiah Garvey is our greatest National Hero. But do we believe in his beliefs? Hell no!

We are a dumb people!

Are you just discovering this?!

Surely this became clear when we abandoned our talented musicians and singers and, instead, began to make musical heroes of bad-boy musical illiterates whose only purpose is to make unintelligible sounds over simplistic rhythms created by musical illiterates who call themselves producers!!

What else can we call a set of people who have abandoned truly revolutionary, influential, intelligent homegrown genres like ska and reggae, and instead wholeheartedly adopt a form of music that, whether we like it or not, is the scourge of the Caribbean and the bosom buddy of anti-social attitudes throughout our region?

You think a lack of awareness (on the part of the masses) of Miss Lou’s true worth and Marcus Garvey’s philosophy is our main problem?!

Incidentally, I have absolutely no interest in Africa, and I never have! On the other hand, I have 100 percent interest in Jamaica and its social, economic and political development (which is partially why, in my opinion, Miss Lou should be the next national hero). In other words, I will always be Jamaican first!! Does that make me “dumb”?

[Mosiah]

Incidentally, I have absolutely no interest in Africa, and I never have!

Yes!

[Islandman]

LOL! Unoo combative today bwoy.

Wait till Bricky see dis thread and start school Historian in the greatness of dancehall music.

[Bricktop]

Yup...we executed all our talented musicians and forced people to like dancehall...

p.s. forget the fact that Ms Lou upon hearing a ten year old Beenie Man said that boy is talented...

[Islandman]

Interesting. Any Vybz Kartel childhood stories to share?

Remember now.....

...propaganda is not my forte...

[Mosiah]

no combat here! but for someone like Historian who prides himself in all things musical, particular as they relate to Jamaica, and would love to take us back to the days of ska and whatever, for him to say

Incidentally, I have absolutely no interest in Africa, and I never have! On the other hand, I have 100 percent interest in Jamaica and its social, economic and political development (which is partially why, in my opinion, Miss Lou should be the next national hero).

, there is just some serious incongruence right there. Yes, he can be Jamaican first 100%, I don't have a problem with that, but not having any interest in the possible origins of the music he so loves...

[Bricktop]

Loved the way he used the language...but unnuh throw scorn on your local acts till dem hit billboard and then jump on the bandwagon...

[Islandman]

So wait, you never see me a help Assasin defend dancehall the other day when you wasn't around?

[Bricktop]

Awoe...yuh a try fren mi up now

[Assasin]

I was watching VH1 Island soul this weekend and it was lovely to see a good mix of Reggae Dancehall Reggaeton Videos. It a good show with quality videos

[Exile]

Doesn't make you dumb NOR justifying or agreeing to Mosiah's 'dumb' statement that "we are a dumb people".

[Exile]

Oh..so you start to reason now??? What about your dumb gross hyperbole? I take exception. If some other nationality said that about us you'd be one of the first to take umbrage. Why the self-flagellation?

[Assasin]

eeeehhhhhh eeeehhh. Mind them lick you down. LOL