Bounty Killer wants the Jamaican government to end the ban on using expletives during stage performances.
There has been a raging debate over the last few days led by Bounty Killer, about the use of Jamaican expletives not being allowed at the Fully Loaded sound system clash event in St. Ann, the use of which, according to the Warlord, is a key element of that type of entertainment. On Sunday the Warlord uploaded a poster of a Reggae Festival in Europe dubbed “Bombo Cl**t.” The term, he said, was being glorified by Europeans, and as a result, he blasted the police and politicians for not allowing himself and others to use the word freely as they wish in Jamaica.
“Idiot dunce head bad minded police and governments of Jamaica unuh look pon that bloodcl**th di BOMBOCL**T FESTIVAL the word Bumbocl**th bigger than di government and di force and what’s the true meaning of bumbocl**th though who defines that since it’s not in the dictionary??” the artiste posted in an explosive rant on Sunday, a day after the event was held at the Grizzly’s Plantation Coves.
While entertainers make noise about using these words, which end with “cl**t,” little do they know that the curse words they are fussing over and claiming they cannot do without using, are synonyms for makeshift sanitary pads back in the day.
The origin of the terms dates back to centuries ago in the days of slavery, long before commercial sanitary pads came into existence. Bombo cloths, also known as Pu**y Cloths and Raas Cloths, were old ripped and stained strips of cloth’s worn by women and girls to soak up menstrual bloodshed during their periods. These cloths would be washed, hung out to dry and reused at the next menstrual cycle.
It might behoove the self-proclaimed Poor People Governor, aka Bounty Killer, and other “affected persons” to take a trek over to the National Archives, where the historical records, including old court documents, give a full indication of the origins of the word and why they were banned from being expressed in public spaces.
Ironically, history is repeating itself, because the words ‘pad’, ‘sanitary napkins’ or ‘Stayfree,’ or menstruation or menstrual blood, appear to be off-limits within the dancehall space. Artistes simply do not discuss or sing about these things whether on or off-stage, so it is interesting to see the conflict stemming from the ‘yearning’ of entertainers to use the term ‘bloodcl**t’ and other taboo words from the Jamaican vernacular.
