Sunday, August 02, 2009

Jews in dalmatia

So I am sitting at a cafe at about midnight listening to a local guy
called "Diego" perform "African music," by which my Bosnian friend means
"reggae." I am enjoying one song in particular when I become suddenly
confused. I listen harder. The refrain, sung over and over and over,
is 'Ya-mul-ke, Ya-mul-ke, Ya-mul-ke . . ." The dancing crowd is wildly
enthusiastic.

Wait a minute? What gives? why are Croatians singing reggae about
being Jewish?

Julia later informs me they were really singing, as you probably
guessed, "Ja-mai-ca."

Somehow, even after learning that - which makes some sort of warped
sense, I guess - since I am sitting in Croatia under a grass thatch
umbrella drinking German beer - I retain a sense of being fundamentally
perplexed.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What an odd litle story! I do recognize that base level perplexity - somehow it always seems to actually be an even stranger sort of clarity . . .

Well, at least you knew for certain the nationality of the beer!