Some Jamette Calypsonians

In the Trinidad and Tobago Dictionary - Cote Ce Cote La - by John Mendes, the word is spelt “Jamet,” from “French - diametre - other half or underworld character. The costume consisted of a dress made of many starched petticoats. A large hat decorated with flowers and feathers over headties. She had a habit of exposing her breasts. The Jamet man had pants worn low below his hips, and was garlanded with lots of gold chain. Both male and female spoke in a low sultry voice.”

During the Canboulay era (1870-1890) Hannibal’s song on Petti Belle Lily was a Road March and Kalenda (stick fighting) song. Petti Belle Lily was a well-known jamette, renowned for her “great beauty.” The melody of the song crops up every now and then. Probably the last time was in “Ram-goat baptism.” Of course, in those days, all calypsos were sung in French patois.

The translation is, “Petit Belle Lily / Petti Belle Lily /Jacket man / Man without jacket / All men are making free with her / Petti Belle Lily sweet young girl / Petti belle Lily she’s crazy / Petti Belle Lily she’s unfortunate / They put fire to her legs.” The calypso was based on a true incident.

The grave digger and police informer Congo Jack were trying to win the attention of Petit Belle Lily much to the disgust of the jealous Hannibal. Congo Jack then threw pitch oil on her petticoats and caught her afire. While Poor Petit Belle was battling with the flames, the roughs of the Canboulay era laughed and pranced about and jerred at her.

Petit Belle Lily’s life would have probably ended there and then a human torch but for the intervention of the strangest and queerest of characters at the time. He was the most obnoxious and disgusting man who rushed to her rescue and managed to extinguish the flames. He was known to all and sundry as “Pappy Mammy”. The name speaks for itself.

When Hannibal died in jail in 1873, two jamettes Myrtle the Turtle and Annie Coals fought each other over his grave. While the wake was going on, rival gangs were battling over all the place. Seven days after his burial, evil persons dug up the body, severed the head and carried it away, leaving the rotten carcass at the side of the grave.

Herein entered the jamette of all jamettes - Bodicea. She accused Congo Jack of committing the crime. Crowds gathered in the cemetery, some were cursing and shouting and many were ready to fight. Bodicea composed extemporaneously, “Congo Jack vole tet-la Hannibal / U vole la mo, gade - bakanal.” Meaning - “Congo Jack steal Hannibal’s head / You steal from the dead, look, bacchanal.”

The crowd loved it and they began to jump in the cemetery. It was real comess and confusion. Bodicea had to get something to wave so she took off her dress and waved it as a banner. The police arrived to stop the madness but managed to arrest only Bodicea and five others.

Cedric Le Blanc composed a calypso about the incident and said in part...”It was shocking, it was shameful and bad to see / Carnival in the cemetery /...Bodicea the jamette who we all know /Is a real disgrace to we Cariso/... Cat and dog passing they mouth on she /Is better she die or lock up in jail / She disgrace every woman in Port-of-Spain.

It is recorded that Bodicea’s life was devoted to three things - singing, drinking and fighting. Finally, she crawled along the city street infested with sores, begging ...and eventually died on the grave where her lover Hannibal was buried in the Hangman’s Cemetery.

Question in the Catholic Joke Book, “Why did God create man before woman?”

Answer: “God didn’t want to have to listen to any advice.”