Eighty-five years ago, a little black songstress and dancer emerged from her vaudeville beginnings in Harlem onto the stage at the prestigious Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, and an Art Deco erotic icon was born.
Josephine Baker (for it was she), often accompanied on stage by her diamond-adorned pet cheetah Chiquita, was an instant overnight success - not least for the fact she very often performed her nightly cabaret in nothing more than a skirt made of bananas! Her glamorous (and often scandalous) lifestyle (including many lesbian lovers) is the stuff of legend. I blogged about her life as a Civil Rights champion three years ago.
I think on this occasion, we should just celebrate her life with this very late Royal Variety Show appearance as the most "glamorous granny" in the business. A year later she died, peacefully, and was lauded as the best entertainer of her generation...
Josephine Baker official website
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a message - I value your comments!
[NB Bear with me if there is a delay - thanks to spammers I might need to approve comments]