Jamaica’s culture will take center stage in rhythm and song at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center during “Evening Time,” a concert homage to legendary cultural icon Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett-Coverley.
The performance, featuring the Jamaican Folk Revue and the Tallawah Mento Band, on Saturday, June 21, will showcase authentic folk songs, drumming, storytelling, and traditional dance forms including mento, ska, dinky mini, bruckins, rocksteady and reggae. Audiences will also experience spiritual rhythms such as Revival, Nyabinghi chants and Kumina — core expressions of Afro-Caribbean identity and resilience.
“Miss Lou was a Jamaican educator, folklorist, poet, musician, actor, dancer and community activist,” says Colin Smith, director of the Louise Bennett-Coverley Council and the Jamaican Folk Revue. “She used the Jamaican language — patois — in her poems and short stories as a means to develop pride and recognition of the language.”
The concert takes its name from “Evening Time,” written by Bennett-Coverley and her friend Barbara Ferland.
“It speaks to a time when the luxuries of electricity, television and computers were nonexistent,” says Smith. “A time of day when work was over and folks retired to light the fire, cook the evening meal, relax, enjoy the breeze, dance, play and tell children much-loved stories.”
For Dona Lee Raymond, president of the Louise Bennett-Coverley Heritage Council, the mission of the organization — to preserve and promote the rich legacy of Jamaican folk culture through education, performance and community outreach — is deeply personal.
“I was six years old, way back when Miss Lou entertained my small rural community at the local library,” says Raymond. “The library and my district were small, but Miss Lou was larger than life. She brought live, outstanding entertainment to places like mine — to people who may not otherwise have been thus exposed.”
Raymond says she learned much about her legacy from Miss Lou.
“She shared with us an appreciation of our history, our struggles, our strengths, our victories and our potentials. She taught us to unite through our natural rhythm and expressions and to celebrate precisely who we are.”
Raymond, who now leads the council alongside a team of cultural advocates, is proud of the work that they are doing. “I have the honor of serving alongside caring, passionate members of a group committed to celebrating the legacy of an indomitable icon.”
This year’s “Evening Time” concert also serves as a preview of the performers’ upcoming appearance at the 25th edition of the Pan African Historical Theatre Festival, or PANAFEST 2025. Held under the auspices of the African Union and the government of Ghana, the festival is a major celebration of African unity, heritage and diaspora culture. In 2025, it is scheduled to take place from July 25 through Aug. 3.
Smith, who is also the founder and director of the Tallawah Mento Band, believes PANAFEST is the perfect place to share the Jamaican culture with the world. “This concert connects us to our African roots,” says Smith. “Patois, the language of the Jamaican people, includes many West African words mixed with English.”
In addition to Miss Lou’s work, the evening will include tributes to Jamaican cultural icons such as Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Marcus Garvey. A special children’s segment will reenact scenes from “Ring Ding,” an educational television program hosted by Miss Lou in Jamaica during the 1960s, where she taught traditional songs and ring games.
“Anyone who ever experienced Miss Lou’s work will love the production and appreciate the legacy,” says Raymond. “Anyone who loves good entertainment will enjoy the quality. Anyone who wants to experience the rich fusion of the roots of the motherland and the rhythms of Jamaica will be captivated. Anyone who wants to learn more about strength in unity will be empowered.”
Organizers hope to attract a diverse audience, from nostalgic elders to second-generation Caribbean-Americans encountering these traditions for the first time.
“We’re expecting a blend of older folks and young children, especially those who weren’t born in Jamaica or raised with the culture,” says Smith. “We also want to share this with our American and Caribbean neighbors — it’s a celebration for everyone.”
While proceeds will help fund travel to the PANAFEST in Ghana and support ongoing cultural programming, organizers stress that the evening is first and foremost a tribute to legacy, education and cultural pride.
WHAT: “Evening Time”
WHERE: Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, 3800 NW 11th St., Lauderhill
WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday, June 21, 2025
TICKETS: $55, $65 and $75 for VIP seating. Group purchases of 15 or more receive a $5 discount per ticket.
INFORMATION: 954-777-2055 or www.lpacfl.com.
