Mumbo Jambo -The Modern Jes Grew

 Mumbo Jambo 

The Modern Jes Grew

by: Pedro Oliveira de Miranda 

    In the early 1970s, Ishmael Reed, renowned north American poet and essayist, known for blending satires and cultural criticism in his works, developed a well-defined concept present in the African cultural environment named as Jes Grew. Reed created Jes Grew as a way to represent the African cultural dissemination in the middle 20's. In his novel, Mumbo Jambo, this concept is represented by him as a literal virus outbreak that clearly is a metaphor to this contagious diffusion of African customs such as music, religion, fashion and more.  

    Even though Mumbo Jambo was written over fifty years ago, From hip-hop to fashion, the essence of Jes Grew  is still resonating in our everyday life. But could Jes Grew today be something greater? How might this "cultural virus " would evolve in a massively globalized modern world, the same one which we live today?  This questions will be explored through out this blog.

    The first topic to be discussed is about the African Religion evolution as the time passed. For many years the idea of Vodou was marginalized and treated as something dark and part of a evil witch craft, principally by Atonist forces which labeled it as a disease rather than a cultural practice. As cited in the novel, the character PaPa LaBas, the defender of this tradition, is PERSECUTED for preserving the African wisdom by these same forces, which symbolically represent the white, rationalist, European order that seeks control and suppress the "outbreak". On the other hand, as the years passed, this type of persecution started to be repressed and criminalized, African Religion such as Candomblé, Umbanda and Vodou started to conquer their own space in the world's traditions, this caused people to have more liberty and trustworthiness to practice their religions and inspire generations to do so. In countries like Brazil, the African religions are part of the national cultural set, where even Brazilians that don't follow the Candomblé, for example, practices a few characteristics traditions as well.

    In Mumbo Jambo, the essence of Jes Grew is also diffused by music and dance, where people begin to dance uncontrollably in the streets, like they were contaminated with the cultural virus. Reed connected Jes Grew with African American musicians inspired by historical figures like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, where in the book they are almost treated like priests who transmit Jes Grew through Jazz, Ragtime and blues, scattering energy and cultural identity. The key idea is, music is a transmission channel of the culture just like dance, and it is possible to notice that even in our conteporanean world where famous artists and singers use their influence to reach more people, disseminating culture and letting the "virus" spread through the world. As great examples of Jes Grew "spreaders" famous around the world there are: Beyoncé, in albums such as Lemonade and Renaissance, which celebrates the African ancestry connecting the tradition with reality; Kendrick Lamar, who blended funk and jazz to transmit African cultural consciousness and resistance; Hip-Hop movement, which is clearly a Jes Grew incorporation of the body and space.

    

    Last but not least, when it's talked about the modernization of any concept, it is necessary to include technology among the parameters of the discussion. The point is, in the last few years, the world became considerably more globalized and connected, which means that the relation between countries and the establishment of cultural networks made a lot easier to gather information and traditions world wide, and for Jes Grew perseverance this is more than just important, it is a symbol of evolution. 50 years ago, culture was principally disseminated by family members, religion, etc. making much easier to the Atonism to counter it's existence, but now, where the internet connects the planet, Jes Grew could spread more than ever. Facebook groups, Famous Singers, Cultural influencers, national conventions; all of this it's responsible for not only Jes Grew but for all the cultures to scatter and unite people all over the world, also reinforcing the repress against the repression, making a much safer path where this traditions can thrive and circulate.

    In conclusion, Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jambo is not only fascinating (and perhaps confusing) story but also a exploration of the African cultural resilience. With Jes Grew, Reed shows how music, dance, religion and fashion serve as vehicles of cultural identity and resistance, surviving even under pressure of the Atonist Eurocentric forces and control, which Reed also criticize in his novel. Today the "spirit" of Jes Grew continues to live through, famous artist, movements like Hip-Hop, religions (Candomblé, Umbanda and Vodou) and growing digital world, proving that it is not static but timeless, evolving and spreading, breaking barriers and trespassing borders. Technology and the Globalization have only accelerated the process, making it possible for traditions that were marginalized and didn't have their own space and representation, to reach global attention and inspire new generations to follow their ancestries without fear of being alone. The modern Jes Grew its real and also serves to remind us of how vibrant, contagious, unstoppable, overwhelming culture is.

Works Cited

Reed, Ishmael. Mumbo Jumbo. New York: Avon Books, 1972.

Big Mama Thornton – “Hound Dog.” 1952. (Hip-Hop Research)