Underdog

 "El Duende" is an essay by Frederico Garcia Lorca about the term known as "el duende", which can be summarized as the true passion one exhibits when confronting an obstacle. Seen below is a short comparison response I wrote a year ago when listening to Donald Glover's hip-hop persona Childish Gambino and determined that he is a modern-day individual who encompasses the term "duende". 

How “El Duende” favors the underdog.

 

            Talent is something one is born with, a skill set that comes innately to a certain set of people in a generation. Some can even go their whole career or lives not ever practicing or honing talent and still reach the top of their respective field. However, there are instances where there will be an anomaly of sorts or an underdog that tries its best to show not just for society but for themselves that they to have a sense of self that needs to be felt. One can be familiar with the David vs Goliath complex or situation where the “under-leveled” competitor faces off against the gargantuan foe, only to later come out on top through a mixture of sheer will and  that indescribable “x” factor that makes the underdog unique and piques the interest of the crowd. To better explain the situation, there is the example of the boxer hitting above his weight class and eventually beating the opponent, other examples however don’t come with the “victory” of the underdog. At times, “El Duende” will help one give one last hurrah of sorts, a performance that may not be the best but is the one that will stick with you the most. For example, in the essay by Federico Garcia Lorca, we have a competition where an elderly woman is dancing against younger women in the prime of their youths and still puts on not just a good performance but wows the audience with her visceral style of dance that resonates on an almost guttural level with the audience.

 

Which brings me to why Childish Gambino encapsulates the “duende” so well. In his early years, he was just a writer for comedic shows such as 30 Rock and SNL but was never given due credit for his skill at making people laugh. Even when he was a star on the series Community, he would be a target of others saying he had no discernible talent other than being charismatic to the point of annoyance. It wasn’t until his musical career took off that the world was in for a shock, not because of how well versed lyrically he was but more how infectious and captivating a performer he was at first. The way “el duende” manifests in his style can be seen in the trajectory of his albums, to when he peaked with the song “Redbone” and his stand out song, “This is America”, where not only was it a world phenomenon but it even shadowed over the new Jay-Z single which was released in the same week and covered a similar topic matter. The way his “duende was manifested was in his signature style of storytelling that one can immediately associate with his brand of art. When a person sees a Jay-Z music video they already know what they’re in for, but when Childish Gambino releases a music video, it’s almost like going to the movies and watching a new indie hit that becomes a cult classic, barely anyone can remember the premise of other rapper music videos, but everyone can remember the authenticity and creativity behind a “Gambino” video. If ever there was a “duende” in the new age of hip hop artists, Childish is definitely one of the more proficient when it comes to letting it rule over him.