The legacy lives on

Feb 07, 2011 News

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Dame Olga Lopes-Seale DA, GCM, MBE, BBS

By Michael Benjamin

“If I can help somebody with a word or song; if I can show somebody that he is travelling wrong; if I can help somebody as I pass along; then my living shall not be in vain.

It was October; the year 2010 was quickly coming to a close and I, as were my Guyanese compatriots, was already in the Christmas mode. A Jamaican friend called me and cast a pall over my ecstasy; Gregory Isaacs is dead.
The popular reggae singer had eventually succumbed at his home in South London after a long battle with lung cancer. Isaacs died on October 25, 2010
Naturally, my mind raced back to the years when ‘The Cool Ruler’ hit the spotlight with his famed ‘Night Nurse’ rendition. Ever since then I had fanatically endeared myself to his pleasing genre of music and upon learning of his death, felt obliged to set aside a mere ten minutes of my time to pay him some homage.
Music knows no boundaries and in as much as Isaacs was a Jamaican national, the surreal sound of his voice traversed borders and found a place in the hearts of music lovers worldwide; a place it will occupy years after his death.
I am still enthralled in his music and envision doing so for years to come. That was the first bit of bad news I received for the Christmas season. Why do good people die?
Death is a reality, nay unpleasing, but still a reality. Fortunately, there is a plethora of data in the public domain that allows folks to reminisce and relive the musical feats of Isaacs for years to come.
The second bit of sad news followed soon afterwards. Christmas Day 2010 was merely 16 days away when I answered my cell phone and was greeted by Director of the Communications Department (UG), Dr. Paloma Mohamed. She was obviously agitated when she informed me that “Dame Olga Lopes-Seale has been hospitalized.”
Dr. Mohamed went on to explain that the goodly woman had fallen at her home in Barbados and had broken her hip in a couple of places, rendering her incapable of continuing her charity work for the Radio Needy Children’s Fund.
Apparently reading my thoughts, Dr. Mohamed continued, “Michael, I would prefer if you resist the temptation of publishing this news as I am quite certain she’ll be okay.” I battled between journalistic fervour, journalistic prudence and deep love and respect for my former lecturer and the second variable prevailed. That article never hit the pages of Kaieteur News.
On Saturday last, Ms Lopes-Seale drew her last breath at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados, where she had been ever since her unfortunate accident. She lost her wicket eight runs shy of that coveted century.
Both Lopes-Seale and Isaacs were stars in their own right; contributing in meaningful ways to the needs of their fellow human beings. The Jamaicans were immediately able to tap in on a repertoire of information of their fallen superstar and even though there is a surfeit of material in the public sphere on the late Lopes-Seale, there is a belief that over the past years Guyanese have failed to truly capitalize on the virtues of this great daughter of the soil.
The administration of the University of Guyana has come in for more than its fair share of criticism over the issue of its non-viability to the Guyanese nation. This learning institution churns out a multitude of academics every year and releases them into a society that hardly has the capacity to utilize all of the scholars. The sickening cries of these academics over the non-availability of jobs reverberate throughout the 83,000 square miles of this country.  While there has been some credibility to the views of these critics, there are some lecturers that have been sacrificing time, energy, finance and other resources to change the status quo at the nation’s highest learning institution. Now, what has this diversion of thoughts to do with the discussion of Dame Olga’s demise? Be assured that there is a linkage and we are getting there one word at a time.
It is instructive to know that Ms Lopes-Seale became married to Barbadian Dick Seale, who had been employed with Bookers in the British Guiana sugar industry. She immigrated to his home country in 1966, living in a bungalow in the Black Rock area of St. Michael Parish about 15 minutes drive west of the capital, Bridgetown. She continued living there, even after her husband passed on and unto her death.
The Communications Degree class of 2010 at the UG was about six months shy of graduation last year when American guest lecturer, Celia Shortt approached each of us with a bag containing several names. We were instructed to select one of the slips. I stuck my hand in the bag and came up with ‘Bill.’ Upon the completion of this exercise, the groups came together, based on their respective selections.
Ms. Shortt told us that we were required to conduct research on the person chosen in a documentary form and submit the work as a prerequisite to our final grades and by extension, graduation. My ‘Bill’ happened to be the late Shanto King, Bill Rogers (snr). Another group was asked to conduct research and subsequently document the life of the now dead Dame Olga Seale. I would never forget the words of Ms Mohamed upon issuing this assignment. “We need to retain literature of our stalwarts while they are alive even if for posterity sake.”
The group that traveled to Barbados to interview Dame Olga Seale consisted of Keisha McCammon, Vanessa Devonish, Christine Chowargir, Shauna Yarde and Denise Braam. Ms. Mohamed was very instrumental in the acquisition of adequate funding to offset the trip.
The group conducted interviews with Dame Olga and then spent tireless hours putting together the ramifications and eventually fleshed out a 30-minute biography of their subject, totally ignorant of the fact that they were conducting the final interview by any individual or group of a stalwart who has dedicated her life to the good of humankind.

In keeping with a pre-arranged decision before the death of the subject, Dr, Mohamed is currently packaging that documentary to sell to the public for a minimal fee. She recently informed me that persons in Barbados have called requesting copies of the documentary. Kudos are in order for the insightful thinking of Ms Mohamed, her hardworking staff at UG and the class of 2010; a valuable bit of history has been documented-just in time.
Dame Olga Lopes-Seales is the founder of the Radio Needy Children’s Party. She grew up in Brickdam, Georgetown and was the first female radio newscaster in Guyana, before the era of television, when radio personalities were widely known and very popular. She has achieved much in her lifetime and was most beloved not only in Guyana but also in Barbados where she was honoured with many awards and citations.
The nation is obviously saddened at her passing but all could rest comforted that she has lived a full, good life and has given abundantly of herself.
Obviously, she has left her mark in the hearts of the people that benefited tremendously from her unselfish chivalry. Olga chose the theme song for the Radio Needy Children’s Fund when she established the organization in 1954: it is a song that has defined her existence.
She is gone but has left her footprints imprinted in the sands of time. The management and staff of Kaieteur News join with the rest of the nation in proffering heartfelt condolences to her beloved family and friends. We wish to send her off with the words of one of the songs of Gregory Isaacs.
After you made my day;
It hurts to know you’re going away;
But what more can I say;
Sad to know that you’re leaving.
On behalf of the management and staff of Kaieteur News I wish to express profound condolences to her family, friends and all those affected by her death. May her soul rest in peace!

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