Josephine Baker and Jazz in Paris, 1925-50

Between the world wars, Paris was an outpost of the Harlem Renaissance and a creative crucible for extraordinary African American entertainers. One of those was Josephine Baker, who had a colossal impact on French art, fashion, and the emergence of jazz in Europe. In this course, we review her life and career as well as other stunning Black divas of Paris, like singer and dancer Adelaide Hall and the legendary cabaret operator Ida “Bricktop” Smith. Discover the expatriate African American jazz musicians and native French jazz movement that coalesced around guitarist Django Reinhardt during the interwar and postwar years. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for the duration of the course.