just think...she's 49 years old here and she looks freaking fantastic. good on her for getting the hell out of racist america or no way does she have the world sucess she did.
What "distraction". .stop whinning it was a racist ass country, why do you think she and other blacks in those times got the hell out of it if they could...you saw for yourself how she got treated when she returned to america even AFTER she became a world star..those racist bigots still refused to serve her.
So sad that the Americans never appreciated her as much as the French. The had so love for her Country of birth and the country that loved her and made her famous.
She was so in love with France that she became an active member of the French resistance during WWII. She was named a member of "les compagnons de la libération" by Charles de Gaulle, a privilege only share by very few people. She also became a French citizen in 1936. A great, genuine and generous lady.
They loved her because she was "exotic" to them, but she was still Westernized, so she was still accessible/relatable at the same time. At the time in Europe, the exotic/wild African stereotypes were in fashion in art, and she played into it (hence the banana skirt and her unique way of dancing). Notice that her image was highly racialized in France, although this was not intended to be racist/insulting. In America, there was nothing "exotic' about black people. Black people had been in America in huge numbers for almost as long as white people had. Josephine was just one of MANY amazingly talented black entertainers in America, so she didn't stand out among the crowd. France, on the other hand, kept black people largely in its colonies in the Caribbean and Africa. There weren't many black people in France, and it wasn't a diverse country, so Josephine was considered "exotic" there. I don't think this is anything to applaud. It's just the nature of how Europe handled race. They kept Europe largely white, while they ran rampant in the colonies. Since they had few black people in Europe, race wasn't as much of an issue in Europe as it was in diverse countries (like America). European countries, like France, committed almost all of their sins and atrocities against black people in the distant lands that they colonized (i.e., Haiti, Côte d'Ivoire, DRC, Dominica, etc.)
Je suis ému pars sa voie un jour j’étais a la bibliothèque et j’ai trouver un livre [joséphine baker] aujourd'hui je suis amoureuse de cette femme ❤❤❤❤
Lucius Baston she never adopted an African American kid. Also, her son saw the adoptions as more political than personal. She adopted children and dumped them at Les Milandes to be raised by staff and family. Most of her children saw Jo Bouillon (JBs estranged husband) as more of a nurturing parent than Baker, who spent most of their formidable years traveling the globe trying to stay relevant and make money. Many of the children went to live with Boullion. Baker was so intimately and emotionally detached that she really had no controlboget the children once they reach their teens; JB loved the stage and glamorous traveling. Adopting children was a way to stay socially and politically relevant and receive money from various charitable possibilities. Adopting children was fashionable and "looked" good for her. Certainly she hated the racism of being black but she also made other choices which couldve alternately proved her racial solidarity. She, unlike Baldwin, did not return to the United States to lend her star power to the racial struggle (until it was too late, and particularly to make money); she instead chose to lend her voice to the Gaullist/France plight as opposed to black American cause. And what little attention she did pay to the black American plight came later on, and was really about making money for her expensive lifestyle and trying to maintain Les Milandes.
Amazingly beautiful, talented, and energetic. At 49, or 50, Josephine Baker still thrilled Paris audiences after 30 years. She would continue to entertain for another 20 years, until her death in 1975. She deserves to be celebrated.
Je l ai toujours trouvé belle quand elle passait ma grand mère maternel me disait ya Joséphine moi le gamin de 5 ans en 1965 . j'ai bientôt 63 et l admire toujours elle est solaire et elle m appaise quand je l écoute. Joséphine Baker la divine éternel et intemporels pour des siecles.
My goodness! She was a powerhouse. She had stunning, exotic beauty, a radiant smile, she became bi-lingual, a daring fashion sense, an angelic voice, and she was a fine dancer and actress. She looks great in this video at almost 50 years old. I love they way her eyes look in this performance. What couldn't she do? America was a fool for not accepting her...one of their very own. Good job, France, for recognizing this talent and for giving her a chance to share her amazing gifts with the world. She tried so hard to give back and pay it forward. I truly hope she's resting in peace. Je vous aime, Josephine Baker.
had the immense privilege and the honor to have worked with Miss Baker in 1975 @ Bobino. I was the youngest dancer in the cast . The show was called “ Josephine “ It was based on her life story celebrating her 50 years in show business from her humble beginning in St Louis to her triumphant comeback in Monte Carlo ....She used to call me “ her little page “ (Son petit page )cause of my age ! I just turned 18 th on April 1st 1975. luckily for me I have tons of memorable pics from the show as well as unforgettable stories of this short but amazing run. ! She was extremely engaged with all of the dancers .Wanting to know everyone ‘s names .Josephine really truly care about people She was a true legend immensely talented beautiful ,elegant ,generous , humble & kind . She would bring oranges for the entire company saying “ My children you need lots Vit C for strength and energy “ She was so right cause the rehearsals were long and grueling ,,,. Bobino ‘s stage was too small to accommodate a cast of 8 boys 12 girls 3 comedians 1 little girl who played young josephine and 1 gorgeous dancer who perform the famous banana dance ! so they had to transformed the stage by expanding it including putting additional seats in the theater and building brand new dressing rooms to accommodate such a big cast all while we were practicing in the lobby of The theater. ! It was bit chaotic to say the list & quite cold being mid -February But no one seemed to care it was so exciting to be part of this show ! Even though None of the big Paris music ‘halls like Le Casino de Paris ,Le Moulin Rouge or les Folies Bergere wanted to take the risk producing Miss baker mostly for insurance purposes There were already rumors circulating of her failing health but a small theater on Paris left bank called Bobino took a chance ...Josephine liked to rehearsed late at night after we were done .She even enjoyed having her favorite dish Spaghetti bolognese around 1 am at a restaurant right across the theater. I will never forget the 1 st time I saw her performing once the stage was finally ready. That night She was in the audience watching us dancing with huge smile on her face applauding many times throughout being so proud of the cast. After all she was watching part of her whole life story in front of her eyes. ... In fact during the promotion of the show a French journalist asked her. “ How does it feel to see your life story being played and starring in your own life musical ? She replied “ it’s wonderful At least i will see what they think of me when I am still alive !!!! I When we were done the director Andre levasseur said “ josephine c ‘ est a vous “ she jumped on stage and belt a song from the Brazilian number called” Que c‘est bon de vivre” She seemed to be completely possessed by the rhythm of the Afro Cuban sound very reminiscing of “Princess Tam-Tam “ all those years earlier Her moves were so unbelievable. Her body was in perfect shape specially in her Chanel suit !!!! There is No way you would have guessed that this beautiful lady was in her late 60 ‘s. A goddess still !!!! What thrill for me. A true MASTER CLASS ,,,,,,, I have enjoyed the Documentary immensely. We rehearsed the show for about 1 month and half . We actually did more than 4 performances. We started with one week of previews on March 25 th with a special Press night on march 31 st to glorious reviews ! We had another full week of performances with a big opening gala on April 8 th with stars like Grace Kelly’s Sophia Loren & Alain Delon. We had another performance on the 9 th . She felt into a coma the 10 th and past on the early hours on the 12 th. Josephine paved the way for Diana Ross Madonna Beyoncé and many other artists. A true legend. Unparalleled. I have a video. Just type “josephine and me Bobino” Cittaroma ❤️❤️❤️
I am glad you answered! Vous devez avoir des souvenirs très intéressants du Paris de ces années là. Il faut écrire un livre ou tout du moins un journal 😊.
3:39 mon passage préfèré... I was lucky enough to come across her, by hazard, in a street in Paris, a few months before she disappeared. Accompanied by my mother (Thanks to her, I know I didn't imagine it), I had the honour of Josephine Baker leaning over me and pinching my cheek with her big smile... I was five years old ;)
True, but she lived most of her life in Paris so it is not too surprising. She moved there when she was 19, and worked hard on her French. She also worked on her English accent to acquire a much more sophisticated transatlantic one than when she lived in St Louis.
As a Brit with far from perfect French I understood every word. She was better known for the banana dance 30 years earlier but she has a wonderful voice.
And it showed. I saw a video of her being interviewed in the early 50's by an American reporter. Her English was perfect. And she was absolutely delightful!
Elle dansait bien, elle chantait bien. Elle a participé à la résistance française, rencontré De Gaulle, manifesté avec Martin Luther King. Cette femme est une légende !
When this magnificent, celebrated performer wowed in this routine in Paris, she would have been denied a seat at a diner in her "home country." Europe's shining star; America's shame.
Sorry, but America was only doing in America what Europe was doing in their colonies. At the time that Josephine was famous in France, France was still actively collecting reparations from Haitians for freeing themselves from French enslavement! Haiti has only recently paid that off! It is widely believed that this is precisely the reason Haiti is so poor today.The difference between America and Europe is that Europe had few racial minorities to have racial strife in their own countries. Europe kept most non-whites in the colonies, where they oppressed them, until the last half of the 20th century.
Someone tell me she did not have more than any star in our US of A . Miss Baker was stunning ! My uncle who just passed at 98 saw her in Paris after he was shot 4 times in the battle of the Bulge . He was a Southern Gentman & white . He said I understand why they never excepted her in the 30s ! She had to much talent for the states to know what to do with ! She was a true STAR !!!
Thank heaven for RU-vid. I've heard of Josephine Baker for years and seen still pictures, but never seen/heard her sing. Yes. She was incredible. Fabulous.
@@denislaborderie7607 Thank you for your reply. I am not... However I sing French. I'm always curious to know how those who are native perceive our execution of the language. How is hers to you? (Both spoken & sang. ) Does she have an accent? Or no? Does it seem to be associated with a certain geographic in France? Just curious. Again. Thx for replying. : )
@@roycey32 As a Frenchman, when I listen to her spoken French, you can feel a slight American accent, although quite pleasant. When she sings, she sounds more like French singers of that time, her accent gets lighter or almost unnoticeable
Quelle femme magnifique et admirable. Surtout ravie qu'elle soit au Panthéon avec le service rendu pour la France pendant la 2nde guerre. Artiste mais surtout soldat de la résistance 💪
Listening to her is like the more glamorous version of Edith Piaf! (Love Piaf, she dresses more modestly on stage). Josephine looks like Matahari, Balinese princess....such a gorgeous tiara. The singing is so powerful and lovely, and she is a great dancers too, which also reminds me of Eartha Kitt (another legend).
Formidable elle est formidable : une merveilleuse voix de velours, forte, réjouissante et enivrante et pas besoin d'effets spéciaux, elle est l'effet spécial à elle toute seule, un amour infini.
Truly.......LARGER THAN LIFE.....when she slapped her hip...and stuck it out....I just ....LOVED IT.....T SHE WAS A REAL WOMAN.....and there's no words to describe ....THAT HEADDRESS....
@@annonnie Actually it is amazing. Especially when she started to learn French at the age of 19. It's incredibly difficult to learn a whole new foreign language, especially in a short amount of time. We definitely applaud her for that. 👏💖
Joséphine qu elle femme elle divine et quelle talent en plus de tout ces combats elle aujourd hui et ça longtemps qu elle aurai du y être. Josephine sublime étoile au firmamenent des étoiles elle est éternel et intemporel.
