By Neil Armstrong
 |
| Photo contributed Tania Hernandez aka Miss Tania Lou |
The coronavirus pandemic and other
global happenings have spurred a Jamaican Canadian cultural performer and
vocalist to write a poem about her ruminations on the first quarter of the year.
Tania Hernandez aka Miss Tania Lou says
the sheer “shock and awe of the leap year” inspired her to put her emotions
into words, using her Jamaican dialect, Patois, to convey her thoughts in the
poem “2020!”
“Speaking my birth country language
elicited a deep, primordial response of how my ancestors and descendants would
have expressed themselves, through the use of our wise sayings, colorful, humorous,
but packs a punch and sharp like a two-edged-sword,” says Hernandez who lives
in Hamilton, Ontario and has worked in special education for over twenty years.
She says writing is cathartic and
allows her to express deep thoughts that permeate her heart, spirit and soul.
“The catastrophic events that came one
after another right from the beginning of 2020 leaped into the lives of
everyone in the world - forest fires," Britain Brexit! /From di monarch/
Harry and Meghan exit," locust infestations, earthquakes, storms,
geopolitical strife, and then to "crown" it all, there comes
coronavirus- COVID-19 pandemic – ‘lick wi down fi six,’” she said.
Describing the virus as an invisible enemy,
Hernandez said it brought the world to a standstill and that her poem speaks
about “the continuous barrage of catastrophic attacks all over earth.”
“Then novel corona comes on the scene
unleashing unmercifully, illness, death, fear, uncertainty, economic collapse,
business closures (business shut braps!), job losses, people having to be
social - distancing and quarantining and changing the fabric of life - the pace
of life- as we know it.”
She believes the “new-normal is to take
stock of ourselves, be still and be mindful of ourselves and others, take
attention off ourselves and think of others by practicing good hygiene and
protecting one another. The natural law of action and reaction, and the divine,
biblical law of "You reap what you sow," and "Love your neighbor
as yourself," seem to be playing out right now.”
“I strongly feel that man's inhumanity
to man and nature has wreaked havoc on this earth and I feel that nature and
the supernatural divinity of this earth is responding to our maltreatment of
what we were given to protect. We are stewards of this earth,” she said.
The poem ends with a call for a
spiritual cleansing.
“It is only through heartfelt penitence,
humility, changing of our selfish ways, and asking the Divine Creator -' Massa
God' for forgiveness for our actions that have harmed the earth and others, that
we can truly gain momentum, peace, stability and healing. Yes, "Tek
di case and gi mi di pillow/We plead fuh mercy Faada God!/We repent a wi
sins!"
Hernandez is a
multisensory language practitioner, teaching kids with dyslexia, and other
learning/developmental exceptionalities. She has authored the books – What Teachers Are Made Of (2015), and Alphabet, Vowels, Consonants & Syllables Reading Magic (2019).
She has written
and recorded reggae and soca songs, and is also a gospel, jazz and R&B
vocalist.
As a cultural
performer, she continues to pay tribute to Louise ‘Miss Lou’ Bennett-Coverley whom
she considers to be Jamaica’s ‘Mother of Culture.’
“I have made it one of my life's goal
to carry on her legacy of preserving, promoting, protecting and performing
Jamaican cultural heritage through songs, poems, stories, jokes, proverbs and
dance.”
Hernandez says
her poem, Happy Full Hundred Miss Lou!,
has been a big hit on Facebook.
She admired
watching Miss Lou on the 1970s’ children’s television show, Ring Ding, and even
appeared on it. Hernandez is now working on a project with the Jamaican Cultural
Association of Hamilton to put on a children’s program called Ring Ding later
this year.
“It was from a child that I was
motivated to perform my 'Jamaicanness' and I have been continuing to do so as a
part of the diaspora community in Canada - spreading all that is lovely about
our birth country. Like Miss Lou, I believe our children should learn about
where they came from or they will not know their true power,” she said.
In partnership with the Jamaica
Foundation of Hamilton (JFH) and community members, she will be teaching many
children how to perform cultural arts at its annual gala in November.
The event will include a presentation
of Miss Lou's digital archives at McMaster University Library and her son,
Fabian Coverley, and his family will be in attendance.
The goals of
the foundation are to support the Jamaican and Caribbean community, bring
people together in unity, and to raise funds for the National Children’s Home
in Jamaica.
Hernandez’s
altruism includes being a sponsor, volunteer, mentor and theatre performer at Citikidz
Hamilton, a not-for-profit organization which aims to end child poverty in
Canada.
She is married
and has four children and one grandchild.
Link to Miss Tania
Lou’s poem, 2020!
https://youtu.be/ZQJh6zey-qA
[This story was published in the Thursday Star, April 16, 2020.]
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