"GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN" sings Cyndi Lauper in one of her hit tunes which rocked the pop world during the '80s. Nowadays, though it seems as if some are more than just having fun, they have gone totally wild. Hanging out at one of the popular Passa Passa sessions in Kingston on a Wednesday night or a Early Mondays session at Standpipe, Liguanea, in the Corporate Area gives one the opportunity to see these girls and women who often spend thousands of dollars on their hairstyles and outfits to really show off. A few have taken the street as their own dance studio, performing the latest
dancehall moves coupled with acrobatics bordering on the raunchy side. The Flair team went to Passa Passa last Wednesday night to talk to some of these women and find out more about their lifestyle. During our talk with them, we realised they have no regrets about their lifestyle and dressing which rate zero on the inhibition scale.
- Articles by Nordia Henry and Kinisha O'Neill
Taneisha
She is 19 years old, comes to Passa Passa every week, has two children at home and is an exotic dancer. She dropped out of school at 14, when she got pregnant. Sure, she's still along with her child's father, who doesn't mind her choice of profession (something she says she does strictly for the money) or the way she dresses. She also says she doesn't carry herself this way for attention from men. On the contrary, "It's just my style", she told Flair.
Taneisha's children are only three and one years old. One is a little girl, and as far as mom is concerned, her daughter can grow up to do anything she'd like even choose a career like her mother's, and of course replicate her sense of style.
Dahlia
Portmore Dancehall Queen, Dahlia, is 29 years old, although she looks like she's in her early twenties. She takes her title very seriously, she told Flair, and has engulfed herself in dancing ever since she won it.
Dahlia even attributes her 'skills' to the benevolence of God. "It's a talent God gave me and I'm just using the talent I was given. God blesses me and gave me the strength to do what I'm doing." The mother of two, an eight and six year old, revels in reading her Bible and praying, which she does a lot. She noted that she doesn't go to church but says that she's okay having a "personal relationship with God".
She isn't lacking in ambition. "I didn't finish high school because of family matters, but I went to Portmore HEART Academy and learned to do hairdressing", she reveals. And, until now, that has been what she has concentrated her efforts on before becoming a dancehall queen.
In commenting on her new title she says "Of course, I'm not doing anything wrong. I don't care what people think, or have to say. As far as men go, I don't make them bother me." she notes. The ones she encounters in the dancehall she says "I let them know I'm not into that. As for my boyfriend, he doesn't mind what I do. He has to understand, it's my career and he has to live with it."
Trudie
CLAD IN red body-hugging short and a bra top, Trudie McKnuff appeared to be about 5 ft 3 in, 150 lb. and not less than 23 years old. However, speaking to her one would discover that her language and reasoning is younger than her year. McKnuff is a former student of Donald Quarry High School, lives all the way in Bull Bay, East Kingston but that does not stop her from making it to Passa Passa every Wedenesday night since its inception. "As often as mi can come, every week mi deh here. It's all about di hypeness, mi love di clothes, di food, di drink and di high grade. Every week I come here and mi have fi wear a different suit."
Since she told Flair that she was going to school and not working, asked how much she spent on clothes and where she got the money from. " I buy all my clothes at downtown, parade and mi spen' about $1,500 every week. Most times I may just have to buy a blouse or pants or shorts because mi boyfriend sell clothes suh most times mi get things from him."
We dug deeper in order to find out why she dresses so skimpily and what reactions she gets from men and women. She said, "Mi dress like this because mi feel nice when mi dress like this. As a matter of fact I dress any way mi feel. The way mi dress nuh give men any invitation to touch me or do as they like wid mi. No man can't touch if me nuh want them fi touch me plus mi boyfriend deh bout di place so mi alright. Sometimes when I'm passing men dem shout out 'Woo' or 'Hey baby yuh look good' or 'what's your number baby'. While sum a di women dem skin up dem face but dat nuh mek mi feel nuh way. From mi know seh mi feel nice and mi look good and di man dem love it mi nuh business."
When asked what her parents say when she dresses like this she says, 'nothing'. We also wanted to know if she had a daughter if she would allow her to dress this way at 18 and she said, "Of course, if she like it she can dress that way. I wouldn't allow her to come to Passa Passa unless I'm coming or a friend who I trust is going along with her. As for the brand of the clothes, I wear strictly name brand and the fashion that's in. I have never been in an unfortunate situation because of the way I dress."
Coming to the session every week, doesn't it drain your body? "No, I eat a lot of oyster with steam fish and okra which put it back. Plus mi fit as a fiddle and mi hardly exercise. If mi mood tek mi I will jog on the sand now an again."
McKnuff says she used to attend School of Excellence where she did Maths and English. "I use to go School of Excellence but mi stop because mi nuh have di money but I will be starting again in March." When asked what she would like to be, she replied, "somebody who use computer, not secretary though."
Simone
Simone is 21-years-old and stands at 5 feet 10 inches tall. She weighs about 135 lb, light-skinned complexion with shoulder-length hair. She wore a knitted see-through blouse with ankle length skirt, which showed the colour of her G-string and the private parts of her body, which one would see openly at an exotic club or in a pornographic movie.
"I come to Passa Passa every Wednesday fi enjoy mi self," said Simone when Flair approached her. During the conversation she revealed that she is a former student of Campion College and is now presently studying Drama at Excelsior Community College.
Flair also seized the opportunity to ask her why she dressed the way she did which was very revealing and what were the reactions from men and women.
"I dress like this because I love dressing this way... I dress this way all the time and I know I look good so mi nuh care what nobody waan fi seh. Mi body look good and di man dem love it cause dem always a call to mi and tell mi wah dem waan do wid mi. Mi nuh watch nuh face cause a foreign mi shop fi mi clothes. Mi spend $10,000 a weektime fi mi entire outfit, hairstyle and nails."
Sasha
A PAST student of the traditional high school, Wolmer's Girls; 17-year-old Sasha Bryan is an ardent patron of Passa Passa, a street dance held on Wednesdays in Tivoli, West Kingston. Bryan who resides with her aunt at Scarlett Avenue close to the venue, is very passionate and aggressive on the dance floor taking on any vigorous man who's up to the challenge. She's slick and 'bubbles' smoothly across the dance floor.
The strident dancer told Flair that she has been coming to this session from its inception. Why? "Because I enjoy myself to the max, get to live out my passionate for dancing, meet my former school friends and just have good fun. The vibes is nice, nuff hype and enjoyment." When asked why she dresses skimpily , she replied, "I dress any way I feel comfortable. I live with my aunt and she does not complain about my style of dressing. My boyfriend who does not live here, complains sometimes when he's around but it does not change my style. When I dress like this, men make sexual comments, while some say baby 'yuh look good' and I say 'thanks'. There are some women who will say 'my girl you really look hot' or 'my girl mi like yuh outfit, where you buy it'; while others skin up their faces, but mi nuh care."
"From mi done know seh mi look good mi nuh care what nobody waan seh. I feel good and it does not bother me whether dem like it or not cause everybody have their own taste and sense of style. As for the preparation involved for Passa Passa, my friends (three others) and I design our own clothes. We come together and spend $20,000 fi clothes, shoes and hairstyle. I keep my hair low so as to lessen the cost. We shop at Parade (downtown, Kingston), buy material and make the clothes ourselves."
Bryan who is a nail technician says she's crazy about name brand clothes, "Even mi nightie that ah sleep in a name brand. Dressing this way does not make it bad for other women who do not. I don't think men will have the idea that all women are the same because every woman come from different background and they each have their unique sense of style which makes them stand out."
