Page 166 - Aesthetic Formations Media, religion, and the Sense

The Sonic Architects of a New Babel 151

Depending on the person with whom she was interacting Miss Maria
would perform one of her national or transnational identities, canceling
out others. Herein she was not exceptional as most SXMers did the same.
Even the fringe local politicians who were as autochthonous as can be, and
the Christian fundamentalists who supposedly lived as Jesus did, also for-
got their localness and righteousness when it suited them. Many SXMers
informed me that when it came to matters of business with American new-
comers, there was not a trace of their otherwise anti-imperialist or antihe-
donistic rhetoric. Devout priests did not refuse checks from Hindu
merchants or Atheist hoteliers, like the Baines did not refuse newcomers
who wished to rent their apartments. It is simply impossible on an island
such as SXM to remain performing one national identity or to be pious
168 hours a week.
DJ Shadow and Fernando Clarke made a sport out of the performance
of multiple identities, national and otherwise, and therewith reminded
SXMers of what they all necessarily do to survive and enhance their
power and wealth. Clarke presents himself as the devout Christian when
he shares the podium with priests at Christian charities, at other occa-
sions he plays the Calypsonian displaying his virtuosity in misogynistic
and sexist lyrics, yet in other public events he champions the rights of
women, and he is also the well-known comedian who often plays the role
of the poor old man from Antigua critical of upper echelons of society yet
longing to be there; the proletariat with the soul of a capitalist. The lat-
ter, his theatrical self, has such an impact that offstage people refer to
him in this way.
In one of the bars that we stopped to have a drink, a fan came in and
said “what going on old man, how the family in Antigua.” Clarke
responded, “things a dread me a tell you. Sonny [referring to the man
behind the counter], that woman a go pay for we drinks, so me can send
more money home.” This Antiguan Clarke who lived in the body of the
Clarke born in Aruba wasn’t joking as he let his fan pay for our drinks. All
these aforementioned “Clarkes” have to share their space with his job per-
sona, Clarke as a scrupulous manager at RBTT bank, who knows no God
or unconditional friendship when it comes to financial matters.

DJ Shadow is as multiple as Clarke. During another live gig, a couple
of weeks after I saw him perform They Fool We Again, DJ Shadow meta-
morphosed. I could not detect a trace of the Calypsonian in him. The
party man was gone. He was all pious and radical Rasta that night. He
was performing the role of the Master of Ceremony at Junior Gong’s
concert, one of the heirs of Bob Marley’s legacy of immanent social cri-
tique. At this concert DJ Shadow was the righteous Rasta criticizing
Babylon and promoting livity (messages of radical egalitarianism). The