Recently I went to a lecture on “An Evening in Parisian
Jazz” for my music class. I was presently surprised that there was a connection
to what we have been learning and talking about in this civil rights class.
Jazz came to Paris at the end of World War I. Roughly 200,000 African American
soldiers fought in France in WWI. Many decided to stay in France because they
were so well received and treated. This was the birth of black culture and jazz
in Paris. After all, what did they have to go back to? They stayed/came to
France to escape Jim Crow and segregation. France offered a lack of racism,
work opportunities, and a deep appreciation for their musical and artistic
talents. As a result, jazz became known as the “sound of blackness” in Paris.
African Americans were treated very well there. In fact, the French would be
upset if there were white jazz players and would insist on black performers. Many
jazz clubs sprung up such as Le Grand Duc, Chez Florence, and Bricktop’s. Montmartre
is where most African Americans lived and worked. The Nazi invasion made things
a little more difficult. The Nazis thought jazz was the devil’s music and was
corrupting minds. They referred to jazz as “Negro-Jewish music” and outlawed
it. As a result, jazz music became part of Nazi-resistance efforts.
Jazz was not the only thing that blacks brought with them
from America. Among the blacks who came to Paris was a young woman named
Josephine Baker. (She moved around 1925). Baker was originally from St. Louis,
Missouri, but she moved to France around the age of 17. I could not imagine
moving to another country at age 17- I guess that gives us a little insight as
to how bad things were for blacks in America. When Josephine arrived in Paris she found lots
of opportunity and work; she became known for her singing and dancing. (Her most
famous dance was called the banana dance). Her popularity grew- she became a French idol; and she stayed in
Paris for most of her life, never to return to the United States (except for
one show in New York). In fact, Baker
renounced her American citizenship, because she refused to be associated with a
country where Jim Crow was the dictator, and became a citizen of France.
For blacks, France was the land of opportunity, freedom and fun!
They were accepted and cherished.
Here is a clip of Josephine Baker’s voice and
dancing if you’re interested! *This is
a neat clip also because near the end it shows the white response – the white
women were dancing and trying to imitate/look like Josephine :)
What I find powerful in this post is a different tactic in maneuvering throughout a tainted, Jim Crow society. Move! To Paris!
ReplyDeleteI also see a connection between timing of organizing and mobilization efforts from black citizens post WWI and the decision of black soldiers to settle in France. Though the race is ready to move towards equal rights post WWII, the understanding that things will remain they are in the states upon return from WWI confirms the desire of soldiers to stay put. Perhaps the popularity of black jazz in Paris would not have escalated as it did had the movement before the movement been initiated post WWI.
I also attended this lecture and found it interesting that the it was mentioned that Jazz was coming into France around the same time that France was at the height of it colonization efforts in West Africa. The lecturer mentioned that the French were initially wary of Jazz and felt that they were being colonized themselves.
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten the part about people being upset when the musicians weren't Black, and it made me realize just how fascinating it is to see how quickly the French's opinions of Black performers and Black people in general changed from negative to positive to embracing it as part of its own culture.
I do wonder if any White Americans played a role in the popularity of Jazz performers. I ask this because I remember that Josephine Baker became popular with many writers from the Lost Generation writers that moved to Paris and have also been embraced by Francophone culture.
This is a fascinating post. I enjoy reading about times of the past when African Americans were appreciated for their incredible musical capabilities. Even in the US early 1900s, jazz music was bringing black and white people together despite racism. I like hearing about African Americans successfully taking American culture to Europe....just another example of African Americans benefitting America despite the countries' nasty treatment of them.
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