Music and Chapter 1

For this post, I would like to continue on the previous topic of cultural symbols. 

Immediately following the kola nut, a powerful connection of symbol and culture, is the reader's introduction to Elvis, as well as Lagos. The description of Elvis' surroundings are a bleak juxtaposition of rain, rust, and claustrophobia. The contrast draws out the dissonance between the cultural relevance and power of the kola nut with Elvis' stark situation. Then comes the description of Maroko, Lagos, which aids to the contrast of cultural elements. This is most evidenced in the mention of the music that is playing, which is a Bob Marley song playing against a more traditional song. The dichotomy of the two wonderfully exemplifies the collisions of culture in Lagos. The Bob Marley song is a Jamaican-by-way-of-America song, where as the other song is township jive, a genre birthed during the colonial days. Bob Marley was not only a performer of reggae music (a Jamaican/rock and roll hybrid), but is also a well known as a member of the Rastafari movement, who's central figure is Haile Selassie, former Emperor of Ethiopia. All of these elements combine at once over Elvis, the novel's main character, who's name is of obvious cultural importation. This exemplifies just how convoluted the notion of culture becomes, and further muddles the sense of cultural identity for Elvis.