American dancer, singer and actress Josephine Baker (1906-1975) spent most of her career in France, captivating audiences with her performances and her extroverted personality. Her centenary falls next month, and a special tour (details at
blackparisdivas.com) has been devised in celebration of a remarkable life.
Baker, later nicknamed "the Black Venus," left the U.S. for France while still a teen, seeking the relative racial freedom of the Parisian stage. Her sensual style of dance quickly won over the city and made her a star. During the late 1920s, she was said to be the highest-paid entertainer in Europe and was certainly among its most photographedinspiring fashion designers and a frenzy of suitors (she received around 1,500 marriage proposals). Baker was active in the French resistance in World War IIoften smuggling coded messages on sheet musicand remained a lifelong fighter against racism. She even prefigured the multiracial family of Hollywood star Angelina Jolie by adopting 12 children from varying ethnic backgrounds, affectionately dubbing them her "Rainbow Tribe."
As part of the Cent Ans de la Dame tour, Baker's eldest son, Akio Bouillon, is scheduled to greet guests at the Chteau des MilandesBaker's Dordogne mansion and a highlight of the eight-day itinerary. Tour participants will also attend all-day celebrations at the Village des Milandes on June 3, and spend several days exploring the diva's favorite Parisian haunts. In a city where racial tensions have recently flared again, Baker's life and example of tolerance are as relevant as ever.
