Louise Bennett-Coverley
Louise Bennett-Coverley(1919-2006)
Louise Bennett-Coverley or Miss Lou was a Jamaican poet and educator. Writing and performing her poems in Jamaican Patois or Creole, Bennett worked to preserve the practice of presenting poetry, folk songs and stories in patois ("nation language").
She is credited with giving Harry Belafonte the foundation for his 1956 hit "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" by telling him about the Jamaican folk song "Hill and Gully Rider".
She was acclaimed for her success in establishing the validity of local languages for literary expression. An important aspect of her writing was its setting in public spaces such as trams, schools and churches. Her writing has also been credited with providing a unique perspective on the everyday social experiences of working-class women in a postcolonial landscape.
She is credited with giving Harry Belafonte the foundation for his 1956 hit "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" by telling him about the Jamaican folk song "Hill and Gully Rider".
She was acclaimed for her success in establishing the validity of local languages for literary expression. An important aspect of her writing was its setting in public spaces such as trams, schools and churches. Her writing has also been credited with providing a unique perspective on the everyday social experiences of working-class women in a postcolonial landscape.
Louise Bennett-Coverley adapted from Wikipedia and licensed by The Cultural Me under CC BY SA 3.0