Idol

Jamal Gerald

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781786828590
• eBook ISBN: 9781786828583
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Social Sciences

A daring and unapologetic examination of religion, pop culture and Black representation.

Who would you rather pray to? Beyoncé or white Jesus?

Jamal grew up Catholic in a Caribbean household, but would rather light a candle and worship celebrities than white saints. Combining African diasporic ritual, music and storytelling, Idol is a spiritual journey that asks what happens when you don't see yourself represented – featuring a host of celebrity appearances.

Iba Prayer

Olodumare Mojuba

Olorun Mojuba

Orun Mojuba

Irunmole Mojuba

Igba Irunmole Ojukutun Mojuba

Igba Irunmole Ojukosin Mojuba

Aiye Mojuba

Omi Mojuba

Ina Mojuba

Afefe Mojuba

Egun Mojuba

Awon Iyaami Mojuba

Ori Mojuba

Oluwo Mojuba

Ejubona Mojuba

Gbogbo Orisa Mojuba.

Ase Ase Ase Olodumare.

In the Palais, there is a large drop cloth that shapes the space with multi-coloured streamers.

A red arch with red altar shelves, there are burning candles on the first shelf and a framed picture of Black Jesus above it.

An altar table is in the centre of the Palais. It has a white cloth on top of it, with multi-coloured streamers around it, a statue of a white Jesus, shea butter, incense and burning candles.

There are framed pictures of celebrities. From left to right:

Freddie Mercury, Prince, Frank Ocean, Lil’ Kim, Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar.

Four Orisa altars: A black and red one for Esu, a yellow one for Osun, a red and white one for Sango, and a purple one for Oya.

Each altar has a picture of an Orisa, candles, flowers, incense and a white plate with an offering. A black candle and incense are burning for Esu.

ESU

Spirit of the Cross Roads.

He who has perforated ears so he can hear all prayers and petitions.

The Divine Messenger of Transformation.

One who guards our free will.

Ajibike ma se mi o. Esu ma se mi o. Mo Rubio Esu Opin o. Ase.

The ritual opens. JAMAL is praying to Esu. The audience has rose water poured into their hands before entering the Palais. PARISS and AZIZI are chanting ‘Elegba ’go (ko) Lona’ (Make Way for Esu, Orisa of the Cross Road) by Ella Andall.

They’re asking Esu to open the doors to the spiritual world.

Once the audience is seated, JAMAL picks up a glass bottle, he then takes a sip and sprays the space with rum. He crosses the space, visiting each altar. Once JAMAL is finished he goes back into a praying position. AZIZI and PARISS both finish performing the chant, they get up and meet JAMAL to do an Orisa greet. PARISS and AZIZI then greet each other and sit.

JAMAL sits down and begins to tell a story.

My mother has always told me that if I come home late, I need to walk in anti-clockwise. This was to prevent anyone coming inside the house with me. If you don’t want anyone to follow you once you leave this space, I suggest you do the same.

My mother is the superstitious type. This is mostly because she grew up in a village called Trials in Montserrat, in the East Caribbean. And Trials is now a bit of a ghost town. It has ashes which spin, levitate and reminisce about the people that once lived on the island. Half of the island is now restricted due to the volcanic eruptions. On the other half, people still have the chance to skip round the black sand beaches, and embrace the charming winks from the Sun.

Even though my mother left Montserrat at the age of sixteen, her upbringing hasn’t left her, especially the superstitions, which have been passed down to me. If she was ever worried about any spirits, she would scrub down parts of the house with ammonia, whilst cussing the evil spirits out in patois. My mother makes up her own sayings, so when she cusses, she’ll say things like ‘Yah pussyclart rarse hole.’ She told me she does this to help bring harmony into the house, to block out evil spirits, and to prevent any type of possession from happening.

She takes Caribbean superstitions really seriously. When you sneeze a lot someone is talking about you. This is also the case if your ear is burning. If it’s the right ear, they’re speaking highly of you. And if it’s the left, they’re not. They’re probably plotting something against you.

If there’s a spider sitting on the top of your wall, that means you’ll be getting some money soon. This is also the same if your palms are itchy. Never put shoes on the bed, you’ll get bad luck.

If your left eye is jumping, that means something bad is going to happen. If your right eye is jumping, that means you’ll see someone that you haven’t seen in a long time. Also a cold shiver means someone is walking over your grave, and there’s plenty more.

Even though I do laugh at my mother and other family members, I have found myself taking some of the superstitions quite seriously, like whenever my left eye jumps, I’m always on edge. Creating melodramatic scenarios in my head, but then they never happen.

My mother went from Leeds to Wolverhampton to see a psychic once, who told her that my family is cursed and that some evil people were going to try and kill her. Because of this, my mother made me go into the bath, which was filled with purple liquid. And then I had to hold rosary beads and repeat a psalm three times in order to protect myself. After this, I had to light some incense in my room, say a psalm in the morning and at night.

PARISS and AZIZI play improvised music.

JAMAL chants the Psalm dutifully but ironically.

Psalm 140

Save me, Lord, from evildoers;
keep me safe from violent people.

They are always plotting evil,
always stirring up quarrels.

Their tongues are like deadly snakes;
their words are like a cobra’s poison.

Protect me, Lord, from the power of the wicked;
keep me safe from violent people
who plot my downfall.

The proud have set a trap for me;
they have laid their snares,
and along the path they have set traps to catch me.

PARISS and AZIZI stop playing.

And all of this happened in my final year of university. My mother made me do this as an adult, at twenty-one years old. Even at my age of twenty-five, she still asks for my assistance in scrubbing down the house with ammonia.

*

When I was young, I would have to go to Church most Sundays, and I always felt uncomfortable. There have been times where I’ve been stopped by religious people who would try and save me. Anyone from people on the street, cleaners and taxi drivers. They could probably sense that I like men and thought that I needed Jesus or Allah.

One time, a Black woman stop...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• FOREWORD by Selina Thompson
• AUTHOR’S NOTE by Jamal Gerald
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• PRODUCTION INFORMATION
• IDOL