It’s been a while since dancehall fans have heard from female deejay, Pamputtae, whose real name is Eveana Henry. It seems she’s been taking the time to focus on herself and learning to love herself more as well. Pamputtae spoke with The Gleaner about becoming a single mom and having to learn a new way to focus on her career.
Her journey to self-love stems from the fact that she was once told that she would not make it in Dancehall because “of my fatness or blackness.” She didn’t let these erroneous thoughts hold her back, and that’s why she decided to embrace herself with true love. She revealed that she’s had to face similar comments throughout her career.
She explained, “I dedicated a lot of time to loving me, spending time with myself to focus on my goals. It may sound selfish to some people, but sometimes you need to just be with you and work on yourself.”
Part of her journey has included weight loss, which she added some fans have not taken well to. She said she’s now being accused of not representing heavier set women, known as ‘fluffy’ females in Jamaica.
“It’s not even that I am skinny; I lost weight, maybe I am not fluffy, but I am still thick,” she added.
She said to achieve her weight loss, she changed her diet, and this probably came about because she has been diagnosed with diabetes. She was given the news after the birth of her second son seven years ago. She’s also been getting support on her fitness journey from her friend Stacious.
“It is a serious boot camp. Stacious would say, ‘Eveana, we’re not friends when we are training,’ and once I am instructed to do the routine, whether it be to lift up them big, heavy tires or sit-ups, I have to do it,” she continued.
Even though she’s made changes and has lost weight, she still hopes to represent black women. She went on to say that she believes that she helped to pave the way for ‘fluffy’ ladies and that bigger women still need love.
She insists she is the same deejay, just a bit smaller. “My fans are comprised of the older, traditional supporters of dancehall, as well as the young youths who have come with [a] different style, slang and look,” she said.
That being said, she wants to continue to use her career for positivity, and this was the thinking behind the popular hit Single Mother, which she used to propel her into helping other mothers like herself.
“It is right to say the song was different, but it doesn’t mean I am different. It was a softer song versus the rough and tough Pamputtae people are used to. My style has always been classy and raunchy at the same time; I never stopped being hardcore, I just mix it,” she said.
She added that she will always strive to be a versatile singer, and that means she will go from serious topics to other topics like Christmas or even Gospel if she feels like it. Her most recent work is Come Out, which she released just two days ago, November 20.
