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Published August 3, 2003
By Barbara Ellington
S
he returned to a hero’s welcome
last week Wednesday. It is her first visit
home since she emigrated to Canada in 1987.
Thoughts of home have never left her heart
and in her adopted country, Louise Bennett-
Coverley (Miss Lou), is always surrounded
by a loving circle of Caribbean friends.
In an exclusive interview on Friday, The
Sunday Gleaner spoke with Miss Lou just
after she had completed an afternoon snack
which included some juicy ripe mangoes.
She tells a great story, interspersed with
songs, stanzas from her dialects and liberal
doses of laughter. She is filled with joy and
finds humour in simple things, she recites her
verses with ease - and she was in a mood to
reminisce about several events in her life over
the years.
SG: Where and how is Auntie Roachie
these days?
MISS LOU:
(Chuckling) Public Opinion.
Me mussie lef her a Canada or for all I know
she might have followed me. I am certain
Eric (Coverley, her late husband) came with
me, I felt his presence with me on the journey
from the airport.
SG: What do you miss most about
Jamaica?
MISS LOU:
I miss everything, the food
most of all although I get ackee and saltfish
and mackerel and bananas regularly (Miss
Lou requested cornmeal dumplings with
steam callaloo for her supper Emancipation
night). But I also miss the scenery especially
Gordon Town where I lived for 35 years.
I was married to Eric for 48 years, three
months and two weeks.
SG: Do you miss having him around
MISS LOU:
Lawd, I miss him you see.
I never imagined that he was going to go but
I think he knew because the day before he
died he told me he was tired of being sick
and the next day he just slept away. He didn’t
look sick, he had a strong voice and always
said ’my voice is the strongest part of me’.
I knew him from I was 16 and at Excelsior,
although there was nothing romantic at the
time. He gave me my first professional fee on
stage. Christmas of 1952 was the nicest and
best one I’ve ever had, I can never forget it; it
Labrish with Miss Lou