AWARD-WINNING producer Mikey Bennett believes legendary folklorist and actress Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverley set a trailblazing path for Jamaican artistes.

“Miss Lou’s legacy is about all things Jamaican and because of that we are able to embrace our culture without seeking validation from others. When young people get the chance to read about Miss Lou it gives them the opportunity to learn more about our culture. However, what I think more literature teachers need to do is incorporate the lyrics of more (Jamaican) deejays and singers so that students can identify more of them in that area,” Bennett told the Jamaica Observer’s Splash.

“Also, if that is done, teachers can identify students who are talented in the musical area. Miss Lou had a TV show; she could have done something European, but instead she decided to host Ring Ding, so because she already popularised patois, students should learn more about the Jamaican artistes who use patois.”

Tomorrow, Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora will recognise the 100th birthday of Miss Lou. Known for her contributions to the nation’s culture, her legacy lives on through a myriad of books and poems she published. The principal of Grafton Studios, Bennett has worked with artistes such as Home T, Cocoa T, Shabba Ranks, Freddie McGregor, Wayne Marshall, Dean Fraser, and Bugle. He met Miss Lou once, and is pleased with the fluidity of patois today, especially in mass media.

“I have never been in a production with her, but like many Jamaicans I felt her warmth through her influence and expression. In fact, I think that (broadcaster) Miss Kitty is like the 2.0… you know, she’s bright and she uses the vernacular in a unique way that makes it special. Back in the day, the radio didn’t play certain things that involved the use of patois so what Miss Lou started was basically a revolution that has manifested and that is how we’re able to use our dialect without validation,” Bennett said.

Miss Lou is often cited as the forerunner of dub poetry, an idiom that emerged during the 1970s when a wave of black consciousness swept Jamaica. She also had a massive influence on Jamaican theatre, appearing in numerous pantomimes. From 1968 until 1980, she hosted Ring Ding, a weekly television variety show on the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation.