Last Wednesday marked the 97th birthday of folklorist and cultural icon Louise Bennett Coverley, popularly known as Miss Lou.

Miss Lou — who died in Toronto, Canada in July 2006 — was remembered for her pioneering work in popularising the Jamaican language and bringing entertainment to many via her work in radio, print and television, most notably hosting the weekly televised children’s talent expose Ring Ding.

For many theatre practitioners, Miss Lou and her works represent such a turning point in the local performance scene.

Actress and broadcaster Fae Ellington, who took to social media and a live broadcast, said it was a privilege and pleasure working with the language.

“I want to thank her for making us feel comfortable to use the Jamaican language… mi nuh call it patois, an mi nuh call it dialect or Creole; mi call it Jamaica language. Me a celebrate Miss Lou ’cause she mek the whole a we feel comfortable fi talk the language and say this is who we is. Miss Lou, what a lovely ting it is that you came, made the impact that you did, and that you make us feel so comfortable and so confident?” said Ellington via Facebook.

For past festival queen and broadcaster, Jennifer ‘Jenny Jenny’ Small, the issue of confidence in self is also something she attributes to Miss Lou.

“Miss Lou represents what’s great about Jamaica. We would not have the violence and killing if we were embracing her tenets, which is about laugh, walk it off, look out for each other, finding the humour in things and not taking ourselves so seriously… Miss Lou for me is just all that and more,” said Small.

Former child star Christopher ‘Johnny’ Daley said for him Miss Lou represents that Jamaican culture and identity that is unmistakable.

“I grew up watching Miss Lou and I always could not help feeling that I wish I was a part of her era. I still follow Miss Lou’s legacy because, as a Jamaican performer, I take the dialect with me wherever I go because I know how powerful it is when I go overseas. The dialect is what separates us from everybody else and makes us uniquely Jamaican. We should continue to celebrate it, promote it and love it just like Harvard University is doing right now,” said Daley.

For Toronto-based dramatist Letna Allen, Miss Lou is the ultimate. She shared with the Jamaica Observer a personal moment with Miss Lou.

“Miss Lou told me personally that I should carry on her legacy. After performing for her for the first time, she took me backstage and said ‘every time you do a show end with with walk good. Make sure you make the language live. Wear mi costume and wear it well.’ A lot of people don’t encourage their children to speak the patois, and as a result the language and the culture is slowly dying because their parents don’t tell them about Miss Lou, so I have to do that.”

Actress Deon Silvera became acquainted with the work of Miss Lou as a child in St Mary and won gold medals performing her works in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s competitions. She told the Sunday Observer that those works inspire what she now does as a teacher.

“ Miss Lou means everything to me, so much that I am teaching at Rousseau Primary School, where every year the children enter festival and win several gold medals and based in the influence of the iconic Miss Lou. My favourite Miss Lou piece is Body Beautiful.

Miss Lou’s anthology, Jamaica Labrish, was the turning point for actress Rosemary Murray.

“Me did grow up inna teacher house, so I was always told to dot my I’s and cross my T’s. After reading

Labrish, I realised that this was a language to itself, mi do a bruk out. What I think is important is the fact that Miss Lou documented the language. When I heard that Harvard, the prestigious Harvard University, is teaching patois, it freaked me out that they are considering it a language and many have said: ‘a chat we chat bad’,” said Murray.