Josephine Baker - Then I'll Be Happy - 1927

Freda Josephine McDonald aka Josephine Baker danced into the world in St. Louis in 1906. As young as age 10, she worked as a nanny, housegirl, and by 14 she had already been married, divorced and was working as a comic on the TOBA circuit. Before her more sophisticated recordings with the Jazz du Casino de Paris Orchestra, Baker cut this more "raw" and playful recording of Then I'll Be Happy with Le Jacobs Band of Leige, Belgium. Josephine had an indomitable spirit and a desire to please her audiences whether for a laugh or for the joy of music and European audiences were loyal and appreciative. She became the highest paid and most successful entertainer in Europe in '27 and the skinny "too black" kid from St Louis would also become one of the most beautiful and most photographed women in the world.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Josephine
• Baker
• Paris
• Belgium
• Jazz
• 1920s
• Odeon
• Nightclub
• revues78s
• Then
• I'll
• Be
• Happy
• Le
• Jacobs
• Band

[mardawg12]

So, can someone explain to me why feminism was necessary? It seems to me that there were a lot of very independent women. I think women simply were lazy and didn't want to have to work at being successful and on par with men. As a 21 year old woman, I'm happy to say I'm comfortable enough with being a woman to look at these women as role models, and still say thank you when a gentleman holds a door open for me.

She is so classy and beautiful!!! and independent lol.

[preservationhall01]

@mardawg12 Could you please elaborate on your statement about feminism being necessary. I don't quite get your point or missed something in my vid but would love to discuss early feminism with you. PS, I still hold the door open for all ladies. Thnks for commenting~ PH01

[mardawg12]

@preservationhall01 I'm sorry, I didn't mean early feminism. I'm grateful to the suffragettes because I can vote and go to college. I meant the big feminist movement in the 70s. I just mean that independence in women was already prevalent; these women had careers. I find that most women didn't want to work their way to the top and instead changed society, and thereby changing chivalry to "being dead". Seems kind of lazy from my viewpoint.

[preservationhall01]

@mardawg12 Thanks for your answer Mardawg. From your first comment, I thought I had mis-stated/mis-represented something in my vid or info comments that I needed to correct or make clearer. I totally agree with your comment #2. Thanks again for stopping by to visit. PH01

[WhereTheGirlsAre]

She took the stereotypes of the time against black people and used them to her advantage and to the advantage of all minorities.

Oh, and, beside what is mentioned in the video, she also refused to perform for Hitler during the Occupation of France, fled Paris and became part of De Gaulle's resistance against the Nazis. And she marched with M.L. King for the Civil Rights Mouvement.

You go girl.

[majorpayne132]

@preservationhall01 theres plenty of white producers who had a problem with a black womans skin, look at dorothy dandridge, turned down because she was beautiful and black. i'm pretty sure sissle and blake turned her down because they didnt wanna hear the white mans complaining, they led them to think that way, so its still the white fucks fault.if the crackers didnt start racism there wouldnt be any. it dont matter cus majority are and still burning in fire. but yes she is a beautiful woman;)

[mardawg12]

@rchl7 Lol I guess so. You got me :p

[rchl7]

@mardawg12 Wow. I guess women are the biggest misogynists.

[preservationhall01]

@majorpayne132 I feel sorry for you. Just another angry black racist. Your stupid hateful, racist comment about Sissle and Blake turning her down because they didn't want to hear the white man's complaining-well, it was an ALL black review dumbass. There were NO whites in the show. The only racism I see today is reverse black hate coming from pathetic people like you. So sit around and feel sorry for yourself and let your hate eat you alive. You are a discredit to black people.

[bill3murr]

what energy and joy....a beautiful human being. thank you for sharing.

[preservationhall01]

@mslexii001 The two show producers who turned her down for being too skinny and dark were Sissle and Blake. They were, um uh, both black. Seems racist f----, as you call them, exist in the racist black community also where there is both white and black racism. Never knew a white show producer that ever had a problem with her figure or color. She was one of the most beautiful women in the world.