Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Jeanette layne Clarke

I'd be going overboard if I said that without Jeanette Layne-Clarke there would be no Doan Mind Me but maybe without Jeanette Layne-Clarke I wouldn't be inspired to juk in a lil Bajan dialect in Doan Mind Me every now and again (read every blinking post!).

I think Ms Layne Clarke who died Monday morning in Barbados did for Bajan dialect what Ms Lou did for Jamaican dialect. Growing up in Bim, I saw her column Lickmout-Lou as a staple of the local newspapers in Barbados and it was probably in those columns that I saw Bajan dialect in print for the first time. Her Lickmout-Lou letters to the fictional Nesta over in away were always creative, good for a laff and looked at issues from the unique bajan perspective.

Ms Layne-Clarke along with the late Alfred Pragnell and Timothy Callender contributed heavily to the culture and storytelling genre in Barbados; writing, performing and introducing us to a slew of typical bajan characters like Lottie and Bruuggadown Boarhog in radio and theatre sketches. Sorry, but for some reason I cant separate the three as much of their work to me seemed so intertwined in terms of who wrote and who performed.

I've got an Alfred Pragnell CD at home with some of those sketches that all three of them created and it is downright hilarious and typically Bajan! I could almost see the characters when I hear their voices.

Consider this trio the Bajan equivalent to Trinidad's Paul Keen's Douglas with their keen sense of storytelling and social commentary.

Well Lou girl, many a fella cud give ya a better send off than me cause I din know ya an you din know me but I still feel like I shud say buhbye and thanks cause I think lil Buhbaydus loss a stalwart and a legend in the literary and cultural fields. Ya do nuff nuff nuff fa we dialect and culture as an outstanding playwright, author, broadcaster and storyteller. Ya really set de bar high in ya field. Outstanding girl real outstanding!

May ya rest in peace.

8 comments:

Dee said...

that was informative
thanks
I never heard of her
now I'm curious

Empath said...

I didn't know that she had died, until I read your post. I am saddened. I attended a Pampalam performance at the Daphne Joseph Hacket Theatre before they tore it down, and I thoroughy enjoyed it. I also was able to meet her through a performing arts program at Cave Hill. She even autogrpahed one of her pieces for me. I know what you mean when you say she was one of the stellar story tellers of the region and she was instrumental in making inroads for the acceptance of Bajan English. She will be greatly missed.

Urban Sista said...

I always enjoyed reading Lickmout' Lou's column. Sad to see her go. RIP Ms. Layne-Clarke.

Mighty Afroditee said...

This is a fantastic homage to her legacy. It will continue with you, and the thing is, someone might write the same thing 'bout you some day. Gwaan star!

Anonymous said...

Fuh true den. RIP mistress...
And nuff respect to the Grenadian posse, I just covering for my bredren because we know where Paul Keens come from and he just on loan to T&T.

Abeni said...

I didn't know she died.Lickmout Lou was fantastic and JLC was a fabulous storyteller.

RIP

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

You know what PAINS me about the Caribbean? How we don't share each others' work, creative people, stories and so on.

Thank goodness for blogging [and The Art Journal], I'm learning so much more about us, as a people.

Long live Jeanette.

Unknown said...

Some of her work is still available - books, "Pampalam" and "Dumplings in De Stew" CDs and Lick-Mout Lou DVD. You can contact her sister,Pauline Layne at 437-9241.