Now, due to underwhelming response or maybe because the visitors to this blog respond better to aural stimuli, I present 6 tracks taken from Miss Lou's Yes M'Dear CD that'll give those interested a little taste of her importance to Jamaican culture. I sadly have to admit that I purchased this album after I had learned of Mrs. Bennett's passing even though I've been aware of her work for close to 20 years. But oddly enough I found a true word of wisdom when I went to Amazon to find the CD. One particularly dim witted buyer had assumed it was a reggae CD and went on to ridicule the album... "NOBODY TOLD ME THIS WAS A JAMAICAN COMEDY CD! I spent 16 bucks on it thinking it was reggae. It wasn't! It sucks! I can't understand her. The songs are 20 seconds long, followed by 5 minutes of Gabja wa loogado box o rum dum dum crap. DO NOT BUY THIS COMPACT DISC!"The third reviewer from the Virgin Islands came to Miss Lou's defense and I thought it really made a valid point...
"As a West Indian I was offended by that last review. The same patois that Miss Lou tells her stories in and sings in is the same patois that Reggae legends Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley sang in and modern artists, Lady Saw, Sean Paul, Beanie Man and Elephant man chant in. So how can you claim to like reggae and insult Miss Lou. She's preaching about the mother culture that gave birth to Reggae. You can't love the child and kill its mother...that's harsh. Miss Lou is a Caribbean gem...she is beloved from Jamaica - her home right down to Trinidad."Well said!
The first track is called "Long Time Gal" and is one of the three actual songs that I'm posting that definitely have more of a Mento feel. Second is a monologue called "Jamaica Language." Third is a reading of the poem I shared "Colonizing In Reverse." The fourth track is a lengthy monologue where Miss Lou discusses the legendary children's television show she did for nearly 20 years and it's called "Ring Ding." Of more interest to reggae fans, or more specifically for those fans of dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson is the second song I'm upping called "Coconut Tree." If you ever wanted to hear LKJ "sing" a Jamaican folk song here's your opportunity! It's pretty funny to hear Linton's delivery and the obvious reaction it got from the crowd - good stuff! Finally I end up this share with "Walk Good" as a fitting final tribute and as the song says... Walk good, Miss Lou.
Miss Lou
More familiar sounding Jamaican music coming soon... stay tuned.
cricket...cricket...cricket...
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments, I was really quite moved by them because you put very eloquently into words pretty much exactly how I feel.
I have terminated the blog because I'm quite disillusioned with the lack of feedback, although I feel a little guilty in saying this because I've had fantastic comments on a regular basis from a hardcore of (mainly) fellow bloggers, but I naively thought when I began the blog that it would maybe initiate interest from a wider audience.
When I say 'interest', I mean of course, people that can be bothered to give something back in the form of dialogue, views, recommendations, and the like, and not just download and move on to the next free music outlet.
I know from my rapidshare account stats that there are no shortage of takers, but not a lot of givers!
Another reason I'm quitting is a lack of time, partly through work, family etc., but also because its much harder to get motivated to post in the summer. Maybe I will have a change of heart in a few months, and Hearwax will rise from the ashes!
Now I'll be total hypocrite and say how much I hope you don't throw the towel in. I have enjoyed your blog from it's early days, and I really admire not only the diversity of Jamaican cultural topics you write about, but also the way you weave humour into your posts so successfully.
So, keep on keepin' on, thanks for the support, and I hope you continue spinnin' those reggae sounds.
Cheers,
Doug.....aka Hearwax (in retirement).
Hope it doesn't come to it, but feel free to use the pic :)
Doug I'm still on the fence about the future of this blog but I do respect your opinion and will take it under advisement before making any rash decisions. I'm hoping we'll see the reanimation of Hearwax in the future but there's no need to rush it... when the spirit hits you to start up again we'll still be here.
ReplyDeleteMilton I do appreciate your feedback and I'm glad I've been able to provide you with a bit of good vibes in this shitty world of ours. I highly recommend the Miss Lou and LKJ inna combination style! :-)
Hey,
ReplyDeleteCheck your blog fairly reguarly and love the information and music you are sharing. Caught the first post on Miss Lou, got busy and kind of missed this one unto now.
Cheers
Thanks for the kind words Ital Doctor!
ReplyDeletelink is dead pls repost...love the blog...bless
ReplyDelete