Artist:Josephine BakerSong:Sous le Ciel d'Afrique
Album:Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker had the talent to be one of the biggest stars on Broadway. But when she couldn't break out of the chorus because she was black, she moved to Paris and became one of the biggest stars in France. She acted in some films and also recorded. But she was mostly known for her stage performances in the 20s and 30s. She was born Frida Josephine McDonald June 3, 1906. By the age of 12 she was living on the street until she joined the St. Louis Chorus vaudeville show and then moved to New York. The name Baker came from her second husband. She was a featured chorus girl in the 1924 show Chocolate Dandies. But no matter how great a dancer she was, a black performer couldn't star in a show. So she moved to Paris with La Revue Negre and her sexually charged dancing made her a star there. You've probably seen clips of Josephine dancing wearing very little. Obviously she couldn't have done that in the US. She recorded in the 30s and also appeared in a couple of films. The films were big hits in France. Sous le Ciel d'Afrique is from the 1935 film Princess Tam-Tam. The clip I have chosen is from that film and I wanted to be sure there was some of Josephine's dancing in the clip because her dancing made her a star. A lot of Josephine Baker CDs are European imports so availability is a little dodgy. But this budget comp should be good for most folks. In 1936, she moved back to New York to star in the Broadway show Ziegfeld's Follies with Bob Hope and Fanny Brice. The show was not a hit and when Brice got sick, Josephine moved back to Paris and married sugar magnate Jean Lion. She was a spy for the French Resistance during WWII and received a medal after the war. In the 50s, Josephine Baker adopted 12 multi ethnic orphans which she called The Rainbow Tribe. She was also a big part of the US Civil Rights movement as she refused to perform in front of segregated audiences. She helped integrate shows in Las Vegas and was the only woman to speak at the March on Washington in 1963. Josephine Baker retired after suffering a 1964 heart attack. She returned for one performance in Paris on Apr. 8, 1975 and then died on Apr. 12, 1975 at age 68. Today Josephine Baker is considered a pioneer of black entertainment and a tireless campaigner for racial equality. And she was a great entertainer too. Here's Josephine Baker performing Sous le Ciel d'Afrique in the 1935 film Princess Tam-Tam. The film is available on DVD.
No comments:
Post a Comment