Review - Drums of My Flesh by Cyril Dabydeenliterate ~ canadian ~ rocking the free world since 1999[Home [Submissions [Links [Search & ArchivesDrums of My Fleshby Cyril DabydeenTSAR Publications, 2005Reviewed by Anne-Marie Lee-LoyThe thing about drumbeats is this: You can#146;t really hear one beatwithout also hearing the echo of the beat before it. Each beatmerges into that of its neighbour as the overriding rhythm takesshape. This sense of convergence between that which was before andthat which is now is particularly poignant when one considers thehistory of the drum for those brought to the Caribbean as slaves andindentured labourers. The drums they and their descendants fashionedand the rhythms they created were as much a link to their countriesof origins as they were reflections of their new environment. Assuch, the drum provides a fitting symbol for the exploration of theconvergence of past and present in the construction of the self inthe aptly titled Drums of My Flesh, Cyril Dabydeen#146;s longanticipated first full-length novel. In the novel, an unnamednarrator contemplates his identity as he considers how he might givehis young daughter a sense of roots in Canada. As the novel shiftsbetween the narrator#146;s observations of his daughter and his memoriesof growing up in colonial Guyana, it becomes clear that forDabydeen, cultural and historical memories are inscribed within thevery blood and bones of his characters, becoming integral componentsof their unfolding identities.Dabydeen is perhaps still best known as a poet and Drums of My Fleshreveals the remarkable lushness of language, precise and powerfulimagery, and keen observations that make his poetry so memorable.

Depictions of Guyana are particularly evocative: one can almostsmell the burning sugar cane that saturates village life in theshadow of Rose Hall or taste the salt in the sea air of the untamedCorentyne coast. When Dabydeen turns his poetic gaze to the Canadianlandscape, it is transformed such that an ordinary Ottawa parkchanges from the everyday mundane to an environment as rich inhaunting beauty and mystery as the Guyanese hinterland.In many ways, the novel feels like an extended poem. Indeed, many ofthe themes and concerns that appear in Dabydeen#146;s poetry, notably aninterest in origins and identity on personal and national levels,are evident throughout the novel, albeit, presented in a morethorough and cohesive fashion. This connection with his poetry may,however, be somewhat problematic from a stylistic point of view.Since Dabydeen#146;s poetry is primarily designed for publicperformance, the sprung rhythm and brief phrasing characteristic ofhis writing is effective when employed to that end. These stylisticdevices, also present in the novel, may have been intended tocapture how internal dialogue is unfettered by grammatical rules.Nevertheless, some readers might find this style tiring after230-some odd pages.

Drums of My Flesh is also highly structured using Jungian psychologyand numerous allusions to Western and South American mythologies asorganizing principles. Again, some readers may find such allusionsonerous and difficult, but Dabydeen does provide more than enoughtextual clues to allow readers to engage with and enjoy the texteven if they do not have a large amount of expertise in these areas.More unfortunate, however, is that the use of Jungian psychology asa structural device hinders the full development of the novel#146;scharacters. For the most part, the characters are to be understoodas archetypes that the narrator encounters on his journey toself-discovery; or as the narrator himself puts it : [the othercharacters were a part of me . [their spirits were essentiallyone" (p.222). Thus, the reader is presented with a tantalizingcommunity of characters whom he never gets to fully know.Despite such vagaries, Drums of My Flesh is a beautifully rendered,intellectually challenging, and deeply satisfying addition toDabydeen#146;s oeuvre.

Although it is in many ways a debut novel, itreveals the masterful craftsmanship of Dabydeen#146;s long years ofwriting and the confidence of an author hitting his stride in thegenre of fiction. In the end, long-time and new fans of Dabydeenwill undoubtedly enjoy this exploration into the beautiful chaosthat underlies the construction of all identities and celebrate withDabydeen the basic rhythm that beats within all such creations: "IAM, I AM" (p. 211).Anne-Marie Lee-Loy is an Assistant Professor of English at RyersonUniversity, Toronto.