Language and Intercultural Communication Vol 4:1&2, 2004 pp 81-99

Editor: Dr John Corbett (University of Glasgow)
Associate Editor: Robert Crawshaw (Lancaster University)
Reviews and Criticism Editor: Dr Fiona J. Doloughan (University of Surrey)
Editorial Board: Gavin Jack (University of Stirling)

Apache Indian's spectacular performance of the identity of ‘Jamaican’ dancehall DJ exemplifies the problematic politics of acculturation in ‘postcolonial’ Britain. Born in the Handsworth district of Birmingham, a major centre of Caribbean and South Asian migration, this multilingual, border-crossing, urban youth appropriates the ‘patwa’ language of Jamaicans and mixes this with his own Punjabi. What results is a polyvocal, rajamuffin sound that illustrates the ways in which the creolisation process, more familiarly studied in the context of the colonies of Britain, assumes new dynamics in the very belly of the beast of Empire. Apache Indian declares: ‘Me a push reggae music to a different body/A next nation and a next country.’ The DJ's ‘nation’ encompasses an expansive body of South Asian/West Indian diasporic communities and others far beyond his country of birth. Having discovered at home in Handsworth models of performative excellence within a distinctly Caribbean idiom, Apache Indian, like Nahki in Japan, Snow in Canada, Bigga Haitian in New York, Admiral T in Guadeloupe and Gentleman in Germany, crisscrosses cultural borders, demonstrating the infinite capacity for adaptation of transnational Jamaican popular culture as it accommodates local needs in its global spread.

Di wie Apache Indian shak out, a gwaan laik seh im a wan baan Jamiekan DJ, dat shuo wi ou kolcha miks-op miks op in a Britn in a dem ya taim. An kuda kaaz prablem fi figa out uu a uu. Im baan in a Hanzwort dischrik, in a Borminam, wan paat a Ingglan we nof Jamiekan an uol iip a ada piipl fram aal bout di Kyribiiyan bok op wid wan neks set a piipl fram Indya an dem paat. Apache Indian a wan toun yuut we taak nof langgwij an nuo ou fi kraas baada an no get shat. Im laan patwa an im miks it op wid fi im uona Punjaabi langgwij. Im soun wikid. An disya rajomoni soun we im kom op wid, in a tuu langgwij, a wan gud gud egzaampl a wa di yuunivorsiti piipl dem kaal ‘creolisation.’ Dat simpl miin di nyuu kolcha wa kum out a di miks op an blenda wen difran difran piipl fram difran difran paat a di worl kom fi liv tugeda an dem staat faas iin a wan anada bizniz. Muor taim wen di yuunivorsiti piipl dem a taak bout ‘creolisation’ dem a tink bout wapn i na di Kyaribiiyan. Bot a di sed siem ting a gwaan in a Britn wen di piipl dem fram aal paat a di empaiya bok op in a di mada konchri – azkaadn tu dem. Hier wa Apache Indian im se im a du: ‘Mi a push rege myuuzik tu a difran badi/A neks nieshan an a neks konchri.’ Fi im nieshan a no Ingglan wan we im baan. Im bilongz tu wan biga nieshan – in a Indya, weh im piipl dem kom fram, an in a di Kyaribiyan tu. Im patan imself aaf a di DJ dem we im gruo op wid in a Hanzwort. Im kom iin laik Nahki in a Japan, Snow in a Kyanada, Bigga Haitian in a Nyuu Yaak, Admiral T in a Gwadluup an Gentleman in a Jormani. Di huol a dem yuut dis a bab an wiiv kraas di baada an dem a shuo aaf. Dem mek wi si se Jamiekan kolcha kyan fleks. It chienj-op chienj-op kyaan don fi suut di piipl dem a farin we pik it op. Eni paat a di worl.