Just like a person has aspects they don’t want to see in themselves. So do greater wholes like organizations, groups, families, political parties, and nations have aspects. They don’t want to see of themselves. Things to painful to process of what we did and what was done on to us. From a Jungian perspective if we don’t make the shadow conscious it can wreak havoc in our lives both as nations organizations, and even the whole world. Is the real deep basis of healing of both individuals and whole societies. Calypso is the art of bringing back and displaying this shadow for society to see itself.
Calypso as Vampire Slaying
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Cor. 13:12 (NIV).
The vampire and other zombiesque archetypes all share a similarity related to the fact that they symbolize persons who are blind to the Self. In other words, they represent persons who do not have the ability to reflect on themselves or their own actions. It seems that the more we descend down the ladder of consciousness (the stairway to heaven), the more we become, ‘One Eyed’ or blind to our own ‘Shadow’ or aspects/acts that are excessive. A good illustration is the example of Bob
Marley’s song entitled, “Babylon System”, where he says,
“Babylon System is the vampire … falling empire … sucking the blood of the sufferers.”
It is within this context that the genres of Calypso, Reggae, Tambu and many other Caribbean music traditions, within the post-plantation landscape of the mind, have kept challenging the status quo of the dominant system through the exposing of its hypocrisies.
The only way slavery could have been possible for so long is based on a consciousness that could not see its own shadow. Calypso as a performing art was one of the only spaces where the “Mirror,” as a symbol of reflection, could be entertained by society. In the northern parts of America, we find, for instance, this mirror tradition, similar to Calypso, embodied in critical thinkers such as Martin Luther King Jr. and now Cornel West. The latter has been penalized for practicing this “mirror work” or “shadow work” on Ivy League campuses.
A vampire system will immunize itself in any possible way against critical glances in the mirror, simply for the reason that it will not be able to stand the stench, and that through the touching of its own shadow, it would slay itself. The same way we in Depth Psychology work with individuals blind to their own shadow, there are traditions that are bent on showing the entire society its collective shadow. In this sense, Calypso is really a form of shamanism, healing, and psychotherapy for nations and even entire regions.
In the indigenous American traditions we find the Buffoon Shaman performing the same role as the calypsonian in front of the tribe, where often via humorous means, self-reflection is encouraged. It is only through self reflection that the tribe can truly heal its soul. It is via humor within the safe space of, for example, a Calypso contest, that such critical feedback can be delivered safely. In a way, it is actually very similar to the safe space created for psychotherapy.
Anansi is the archetype in the Caribbean of which Calypso is one of its last living vehicles. Anansi is characterized as a trickster who presents us with a mirror, to trick us into seeing ourselves and the plantation for what it really is. We must acknowledge both sides. Slavery could only be based on psychic vampiricism. There is really no need for guns here; just a glimpse of the mirror or touching the shadow, is what slays the vampire.
Being a Calypsonian/Anansi has its price. Like Cornel West says “when we bring the mote to the beam you get ousted.” In other words, when you show false people their true Self, they do everything in their power to eliminate you. This is perhaps the reason why the calypsonian as Anansi, is condemned and exiled to a “safe” space like the Calypso contest. It cannot go beyond the walls of the festival stadium. It is really the tradition going back to the real martyrs like Marley.
In 1 Corinthians 13:12, we see a clear allusion to this core Sermon on the Mount teaching, of the mote and the beam. In chapter 12 it says, “for now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (NIV).
The first one to bring awareness to the problem of the shadow in this era was Jesus. This is where this tradition fully started and who from the beginning chanted down Babylon. Through the centuries this tradition was passed down to posterity in the West through the work of Carl Jung and in the Americas especially via the arts through Anansi. This tradition can still be found in Calypso, specifically when the calypsonian holds up the mirror in front of society. It is also sad to say that this too (Calypso) is now also at risk for true calypsonians are almost a thing of the past. As is referred to in the scripture, only by facing our shadow we can see clearly and really get to know who we are, and herewith also exorcize the vampires and demons within us. This is the sword (the cross) which the first calypsonian, The Nazarene, wielded (and will wield again) toward the slaying of the Babylon vampire system.
Epilogue
E dolornan di e Pueblo ta worde hasta reprimi y scondi dor di e pueblo mes. Ta dor di terapia y calypso nan ta hanja un chens oa worde saca di e inconciente (shadow). E soca lihe of road march ta bay over di e banda mas high unda ta Los laga bay pero e calypso ta trece nos pa para keto y reflectiona riba cosnan cu nos mes no kier wak y nos a skonde den e bahoel del olbido. E famoso pandora box. Den cuido mental nos ta hanja e mesun cos unda Hopi biaha e cosnan cu nos mester a pusha abow ta Sali de remate. Pero e philosophia di cuido mental di Hul ta verdoof esakinan en bes di laganan Sali pa por heal nan. Mi ta un dine unico psychologonan cu no ta kere den suppress y verdoof e shadow. Pesey mi ta preocupa cu e desaroyo aki. Paso Calypso ta duna un voz na w shadow of e dolornan aki cu nos ta verdoof y skonde pero cu e ora ta Sali manera explosions my make saman social y mental. No ta zomaar cu den e ultimo contestnan a cuminsa prohibi pa canta over di governante of liderasgo paso por lo general no tin ningun otro caminda cu e dolornan aki por Sali paso con Bo por bay keha co dolor serca esun cu a hacie? Pesey difunto Gario mes den su mesun Calypso a premira e asesinato di Calypso… e toch dus ta keda un graadmeter importante di democracia den un sociedad y un mente di un hende cuanto e por tolera pa wak den e spiel y pa wak su shadow y su dolornan y e dolornan cu e ta causa otro. Finalisando: E gera real unda e battlefield ta the mind ta pa cut off nos shadow versus pa sake di e pandora box
