By Princess O’Nika Auguste

Last year, a friend posted on social media that Marion Hall, formerly known as Lady Saw, “taught all the girls to be jammettes/jamets.” I agreed, As a young girl I sang along to her songs: Give Me a Reason Sycamore Tree, Healing, I’ve Got Your Man, Good Wuk, tracks that people might deem too explicit  for a child or a teenager. Alongside Marion Hall (Lady Saw), I listened to Tanya Stephens Boom Wuk, It’s a Pity, These Streets,and so manyothers. Marion Hall later converted to Christianity. She went through baptism a few years ago and renounced her explicit dancehall music and decided to start afresh as a gospel singer. I was and still am disappointed that she no longer sings those iconic tracks that shaped a generation. When my friend made that post, I responded that the only Marion Hall I recognized is Lady Saw. In saying that, I realize I was taking away her agency, her right to change and define herself. But I also see that in rejecting her past music as un-Christian, Hall, whether intentionally or not, dismissed the agency she once gave to Caribbean women, the right to own our sexuality, our pleasure, and our bodies.

Some celebrate her decision, arguing that she has moved away from “corrupting” young Caribbean girls by teaching them to be jammettes. But I reject this idea that being a jamet is something to be ashamed of. In fact, the Bible itself praises several jamets (Ruth, Tamar, Rahab, and the woman in Songs of Songs), women who owned their sexuality.  Some of them even have made it to Jesus’s own lineage.

What is a Jammette/Jamet?

The word jamet or jammette is widely used in Trinidad and Tobago, Saint-Lucia, and Dominica. The term comes from the French word diameter, which linguists interpret as a reference to an imagined social line, one that separated the “respectable” members of society from those deemed undesirable (Farrell & Edwards 2021).

Historically, a jamet was not simply a lower-class woman but someone associated with the underworld: criminals, prostitutes, dancers, singers, immigrants, and practitioners of African and East Indian religions, and the working class at large. Over time the meaning shifted and now jamet is synonymous with a woman who is judged as sexually promiscuous, crude, or morally loose (Farrell & Edwards 2021).

But here’s the thing. 19^th century jamets used their bodies as a form of spectacle to claim agency in a society that sought to control them. Modern Caribbean women, through dancehall and soca, do the same thing today.

 The Jamet as a Symbol of Agency

 Women in the dancehall and soca have longed faced a male -dominated industry where lyrics were often degrading to them. Rather than retreating, female artists embraced their sexuality and turned it into empowerment.  As Ekeama S. Goddard Scovel (2016) notes, rather than critiquing misogynistic lyrics, female soca artists reclaimed their power by encouraging women to wine and celebrate their bodies on their own terms.  Take Put Your Waist into It (1998) by DNS, a band that Saint-Lucian soca artist Nicole David was a member of. In that song, she instructs the audience to put their waist into it, in other words, wine. In Mate, (2004) she instructs both men and women how to wine and participate in jammetry with their partner. She is encouraging her female and male audience to participate in consensual jammetry. Jammetry is not only about agency but consent.  David, in her song Bounce (2005),also commands and instructs her audience to bounce.

Lucy (2015) by Trinidadian and Tobagonian soca artist Destra Garcia, sings about being a “good girl” who stayed home until she learned about Carnival and bacchanal. Through the song, she affirms that even introverted women deserve to embrace their inner jamette.  Denise Belfon, who is also from Trinidad but has Saint-Lucian heritage, does the same in her song De Jammette (2002), celebrating women who own their sexuality.   In Roll It Gal (2006), a Barbadian soca artist also called the Queen of Soca Alison Hinds promotes independence, self-love, and education while still rolling it (wining). In 2013/2014, she released a song called Born with It, singing about how West Indian/Caribbean women were born with the waistline and the dance skills. She later released its video last year with her illustrating how now that she is in her 50s, she is still born with it. She demonstrates that even though she is now in her 50s she can still wine.  That video affirms Caribbean women of all ages can participate in jammetry and own their sexuality.   Trinidadian and Tobagonian soca artist Nessa Preppy in Walk N Wine (2024) references Denise Belfon’s legacy of jammetry while her other tracks Baddie (2024), Tingo (2018), and Issa Snack (2018) champion sexual autonomy and confidence.

Jammetry has also introduced body positivity. Women in soca do not have to be stick thin to take part in jammetry. Denise Belfon, Nadia Batson (who is also from T&T), and Alison Hinds have all demonstrated that jammetry is not an exclusive club but an inclusive club for all. Denise Belfon wining in Licks (2006) and Wining Queen (2013), Nadia Batson singing about self-love in Market (2023) and singing about her booty in Fatt (2019) personify body positivity. The jamet is no longer just a derogatory label, but it is a badge of agency, resistance, and feminine power, and this is nothing new.

 The Jamets of the Bible

Biblical women owned their sexuality, practiced agency, and in some cases, even used their perceived jamet-ness to their advantage. The idea that one cannot be a jamet and a woman of faith is false. The Bible itself tells us so.

Tamar: The Righteous Jamet

Tamar in Genesis 38, Judah’s daughter-in-law, had been denied her right to have children after each of her husbands died. In that era, women’s social security and healthcare was their children, particularly sons.  As Susan Niditch (1979) notes, “The identity of these women, their sociological existence in a sense, depends upon their bearing their husband’s children.  The young in-marrying woman who comes from a different clan and perhaps from a distant geographic location is integrated into her husband’s clan through the children she bears him. Her children are a visible statement of her connection with the clan…[which] remains even if her husband dies. If the woman has not borne his children, however, she has never fully become a member of his family.” Thus, it was Tamar’s right to bring forth children.

 Her father-in-law Judah (Joseph’s brother, Jacob’s son) refused to give her his next son in marriage as was the custom. But Judah was more concerned about his third son and his rights instead of also taking care of Tamar. He used his patriarchal authority to dismiss Tamar. So, Tamar disguises herself as a sex worker and seduced Judah, securing her rights and the continuation of her family line. When she was found pregnant without a husband and outside of the patriarchal norms, Judah asked for her to be punished.  Lesleigh Stahlberg (2017) conveys that Judah is told that Tamar played the harlot (zantah) when he learns she is pregnant and that she conceived by harlotry (liznunim). Judah is ready to condemn her, but she reveals his hypocrisy, and he admitted, “She is more righteous than I” (Genesis 38:26). Tamar’s actions might have been seen as scandalous and jammetry, but the Bible itself justifies her right to use and exercise her sexual autonomy.

Rahab: The Faithful and Reclaimed Jamet

Rahab, a Canaanite woman residing in Jericho, is introduced in the Bible as a prostitute who harboured the Israelites spies sent by Josuha before the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 2; Knust 2011). Her actions could be interpreted as female power and resistance to oppressive structures.

Rahab’s Agency and Survival

Living on the margins of society due to her profession, Rahab utilized her position and negotiated the safety of her family in exchange for aiding the spies (Kensky and Myers 2021). This decision emphasises her agency in the context of conquest and patriarchy which challenged traditional power dynamics by positioning herself as an active agent in her destiny.

Sexuality and Power: Rahab as a Biblical Jamet

Rahab’s identity as a prostitute has been examined through various interpretive lenses. Some scholars argue that her marginalized status allowed her to operate outside societal norms, using her sexuality as form of power.  She is held by some scholars to be intelligent, practical, deceptive, and not afraid to go against her country and king. (Kensky 2002).

Rahab’s Legacy the Reclaimed Jamet

Rahab’s narrative resonates with contemporary discussions on reclaiming marginalized identities. Her story serves as a testament to the agency of women who navigate oppressive systems and seek to empower those on the fringes of society (Gafney 2014).

Ruth:  The Jamet from a Foreign Land

The Book of Ruth is often romanticized, but biblical scholars have long debated on whether it should be romanticized. Ruth, a foreign woman from Moab, follows her Israelite mother-in-law to a new land. Ruth is portrayed positively. She loves her mother-in-law. She does everything in her power to help her mother-in-law. When Ruth is gleaning in the fields, she meets a kinsman of Naomi and her deceased her husband. Naomi (an instructor of jammetry) instructs Ruth to seduce Boaz.  The Book of Ruth is often romanticized as a tale of loyalty, love, and divine providence; however, I believe the Book of Ruth should not be interpreted like this but should be interpreted as a narrative of sexual agency and autonomy. Ruth works tirelessly to support Naomi gleaning in the fields to collect leftover grain. This is task that the poor and the marginalized (Ruth 2:2-3).  Survival in a patriarchal society often requires hard work.

Uncovering the Feet of Boaz:  A Bold Act of Agency

The story comes to a climax when Naomi tells Ruth to bathe, put on her best clothes, and go to Boaz while he is asleep on the threshing floor (Ruth 3:4). Jennifer Wright Knus,t in her book Unprotected Texts, states that Ruth and Namoi conspire to seduce Boaz (Knust 2011). Knust gives both Ruth and Namoi agency and autonomy in this narrative. One can conclude that jammetry gives women power and autonomy of their lives and bodies. In chapter 3, Ruth lays at and uncovers Boaz’s feet (Ruth 3:7), which has been interpreted by many scholars to be euphemism about covering the male sexual organs (Knust 2011, John Gray 1986). It seems that Ruth and Boaz may have had a sexual encounter because of what happens afterwards. She gets up and returns home before anyone else sees her because it may cause a scandal.

Even if “uncovering his feet” is not explicitly sexual, the scene is filled with erotic tension. Ruth enters Boaz’s space at night, an act that could damage her reputation if discovered. She then places herself in a vulnerable but strategic position, lying beside him in a moment of potential intimacy. When Boaz awakes startled, Ruth does not passively wait for his response. She boldly tells him in Ruth 3:9 to cover her with his cloak and lets him know that he is next of kin.

Sexual Autonomy and Survival

Ruth’s actions were sexual, and they reflect a calculated use of her body and agency to secure her future in a society where women had few economic or social protections outside of marriage. Rather than waiting to be rescued, Ruth actively ensures her survival and that of Naomi. Her actions are not those of a passive, submissive woman but of a jamette who understands how to navigate a patriarchal world to her advantage. Ruth’s story does not just end with her becoming Boaz’s wife, but she became the great-grandmother of king David and is included in the genealogy of Jesus, putting this foreign-born sexually autonomous women at the heart of Israel’s royal family and in the Christian messiah’s lineage.

The Power of the Biblical Jamet

The narrative of Ruth is not just a romantic tale, nor is it just a tale of a faithful daughter-in-law. It is a story that demonstrates survival, female agency, and defiance of patriarchal norms. Her story aligns with many women from the Caribbean who embrace their autonomy despite societal restrictions. In “uncovering Boaz’s feet,” Ruth shows that survival requires a willingness to step out of society’s conventions.

The Sensual Jamet of the Song of Songs 6:13-7:13

The Song of Songs or the Song of Solomon is one of the most explicit books in the Bible which is filled with vivid erotic imagery and unapologetic expressions of desire.  The couple in Song of Songs are not even married. Sexual desire in this book is not repressed or regulated and neither is female sexual autonomy. Song of Songs celebrates mutual passion, longing and physical intimacy between two lovers. The female speaker in Song of Songs is free to express agency and her sexual desires.

 The Dance

One of the most striking things about the Song of Songs is when the female lover dances. She dances in a way that seems erotic.  The dance is an erotic dance because of how the woman is described while dancing. One indicator of her dance being erotic is that she is requested to turn around while dancing so that her onlookers can see her (6:13, 7:1). As chapter 7 continues, the onlooker starts describing her from her feet upwards to her face (descriptions of her sexual body parts are included) (Polaski 1997). In this dance, although the female protagonist is not speaking, the dance is a depiction of her expression of power and allure. She controls the onlookers by her dance and wields power. She needs not say anything. She has their attention just by the movement of her waistline. The Shulammite woman embodies the confidence and performative sensuality of a Caribbean jamet. Her body is not a source of shame but a site of beauty, pleasure, and power

A Woman Who Speaks

Throughout the Songs of Songs, the female lover asserts her voice and takes control of her own narrative. In fact, we hear more from the Shulammite woman’s perspective even though both she and her male lover speak almost equally in the text (Gardner 2020). This is not a submissive woman; she is taking an active part in her own pleasure. In the Bible, there are many women who do not have the freedom of the Shulammite woman, who expresses her desires and freely demonstrates her sexual agency. There are not too many women who express outright agency in the Biblical text, but the Shulammite woman is the embodiment of autonomy.

The Shulammite Woman as a Biblical Jamet

The boldness of the female lover in Song of Songs can resonate with Caribbean  women, because she is a woman who defies societal expectations and owns and claims her own pleasure and desires. Much like the women who dance through the streets during Carnival, the Shulammite woman moves with confidence and embraces her body as a source of  power. In a world that often seeks to silence or control female sexuality, Song of Songs presents an alternative view, one in which a woman’s pleasure is not only acknowledged but celebrated.

Jammetry and Christian Worship

A jamet is not an immoral person, and a jamet is certainly not less Christian. If Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the woman in the Song of Songs could embrace their sexuality and still be honoured in the biblical literature, then Caribbean women or any woman who takes part in jammetry should embraced their sexuality and be honoured. Ruth, Rahab, and Tamar all ended up as ancestors of Jesus. This that means  the deity endorses jamettes. There are those who argue that the other two women in Jesus’s lineage, Mary his mother and Bathsheba, consented and acted outside of sexual norms. I don’t believe that the two of them consented, but for argument sake, let’s assume all five women from the Christian messiah’s  lineage acted outside of the norms, it would explain perfectly Jesus’s compassion for The Woman  Caught in Adultery but also his affinity with people on the edges of his society’s margins. It would also mean that deity didn’t need Jesus’s female ancestors to be pure, holy, and virginal, and thus, since Jesus is a product of jamets, whether it is 3 women or all 5, then there is no need to judge women who take part in jammetry.

Jammetry is not about sex, dancing, or dress, but it is about agency and autonomy. It is about rejecting societal shame and embracing the fullness of our bodies and desires. If the Bible itself honours women who acted outside the lines of respectability, then surely in my Alison Hinds voice, we can “roll it” and still worship God!

Judging and rejecting women who participate in jammetry is rejecting Jesus as he is the product of such!

 So yes, you can be a jamet and be a Christian.

The Bible said so!

Princess O’Nika Auguste is from the Caribbean island of Saint-Lucia and a PhD student at Dublin City University. Her research focuses on intersectionality, gender, consent, bodily autonomy, agency, consent, ethnicity, childhood, and migration in Biblical Literature.  You can follow her on BlueSky and Instagram @onikaprincess.bsky.social.

References

Farrell, H., & Edwards, I. (2021). “Come to make yuh waistline Drop and go down to d bassline D structure fall down, ‘Is now level ground!’”—Mizz Jinnay, “Mad Dame” 2019.

Gafney, W. “Remixed Gospel of Rahab: Who Are You Calling a Whore.” https://www.wilgafney.com/2016/05/21/remixed-gospel-of-rahab-who-are-you-calling-a-whore/

Gardner, Kelli Anne. The Figure and Figuration of Woman in the Hebrew Bible: Female Body and Voice in Song of Songs, Proverbs 1–9, 31, and Lamentations 1–2. The University of Chicago, 2020.

Goddard-Scovel, E. S. (2016). Soca Music, Women, and Sexual Agency.

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva Simone. (2002). Reading the women of the Bible (1st ed.). New York: Schocken Books

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva and Carol Meyers. “Rahab: Bible.” Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. 23 June 2021. Jewish Women’s Archive.

Knust, Jennifer Wright. “Unprotected Texts: The Bible’s surprising contradictions about sex and desire.” (No Title) (2011).

Niditch, Susan. “The wronged woman righted: An analysis of Genesis 38.” Harvard Theological Review 72, no. 1-2 (1979): 143-149. #

Polaski, Donald C. “What will ye see in the Shulammite? Women, power and panopticons in the Song of Songs.” Biblical Interpretation 5, no. 1 (1997): 64-81.

Stahlberg, Lesleigh Cushing. “Sex and the Singular Girl: Dinah, Tamar, and the Corrective Art of Biblical Narrative.” Biblical Theology Bulletin 47, no. 4 (2017): 195-204.

Notes

Saint-Lucia, Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago were once French colonies before they became British colonies and then eventually independent nations. Hence why jamet is derived from a French word.

They also speak a French-based Creole more so in Saint-Lucia and Dominica than T&T.

Trinidad spells jammette with two mm and two “t’s? and an “e” at the end.

Soca music is still male dominated.