Walk in Miss Lou's footsteps this weekend. Enjoy activities at her home in Gordon Town.
The activities on Saturday have been organized by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission and the Gordon Town community , to celebrate Miss Lou’s birthday, which falls on September 7), to honour her memory and reinforce her legacy.
Saturday’s all day event includes a re-enactment of Ring Ding, the TV programme which Miss Lou hosted for 10 years on the now defunct Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation. Many remember Ring Ding as groundbreaking local programme, which provided an avenue for the exposure of the Jamaican language and culture. In addition to teaching Jamaican folk songs and expounding on aspects of the Jamaican culture, Miss Lou used ring Ding as a space in which many young performers could explore their abilities. Many well known Jamaican entertainers cut their teeth, performing on Ring Ding.
During the day there will be a pickney village, with donkey cart rides, storytelling and other activities specifically designed for the children – a group very special to Miss Lou throughout her life. Even after Miss Lou left Jamaica and took up residence in Canada, she continued to make herself available to children who would pop in to see her. She would quickly break into her performance mode – teaching folk songs, talking about Jamaican culture and being the affable and beloved’ folk heroine, we all knew and loved.
Later in the day there will be a gospel concert and then a variety concert aptly dubbed ‘Gal An Bway’. Many of the performers will be Jamaicans, young and old, who have emerged as winners in different genres of the annual performing arts competitions staged by the JCDC.
The highpoint of the day for many, will be the ‘Walk Good Tour’ – an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Miss Lou. Visitors will get a chance to roam through the actual house in which Miss Lou lived, with tours conducted by Miss Lou’s former household assistant, (Miss Cameron) and the owner of the house, attorney at law Janet Mignott. The tour will end with the serving of lemonade, a favourite drink of Miss Lou, who never allowed anyone to leave her house without a drink.
So the legacy of Miss Lou continues to inspire Jamaicans all across the globe and Jamaicans right at home in Jamaica as this month we celebrate her contribution to Jamaica. In the words of dub poet Mutabaruka, as recorded on his CD “Miss Lou Miss Lou, wi love yuh fi true, wi love how yuh chat, but some no like dat.”
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