Josephine Baker or "Black Venus" - the true embodiment of the "roaring 20s", a symbol of the era of art deco, jazz, the heyday of cinema. A woman with incredible energy and charisma, who managed to break through from the bottom and conquer the upper world, creative bohemia and politicians with her talent. No one could understand what was the secret of Josephine, and she herself, being a true master of mystification, never revealed her secret.
Childhood and youth
Josephine (real name Frida Josephine MacDonald) was born in 1906 in a very poor family. Most biographers believe that she was the illegitimate daughter of musician Eddie Carson, but some refute this fact. The girl’s mother, a black washerwoman, earned little, moreover, her father soon left the family. Mother got married again, stepfather adopted baby Josephine and her brothers. In 1917, the girl had to endure the horror of the St. Louis massacre, to witness the death of neighbors and friends. These events are embedded in the memory of the future star, later she became one of the most violent fighters against racism.
Tampi's childhood (as her relatives called her) was not particularly rosy, but thanks to her strong character and explosive temperament, the girl did not feel unhappy. She rarely went to school, wrote and read very poorly, and made terrible mistakes in English. At 13, Tampi was married - for the society in which she lived, such marriages were not unusual. In the same 1919, the debut of the future actress took place, she entered the theatrical stage as a statistician, not so much for the realization of her dreams, but for extra income. A few weeks later, Josephine broke up with her husband, who was much older than her, and a year later she remarried. The marriage lasted several years, but forever left her the name Baker, which became part of the stage name.
Life-long career
The actress took her first steps on stage in Philadelphia, but after a couple of years she got into a fight in New York, where she was in full swing. She was a statistician, a chorus girl, she participated in the Negro revue, which was very fashionable in those years. After several shows at the New York club, the charismatic actress and singer noticed, she soon received an invitation to Paris, in a similar revue of the Champs Elysees theater.
In Paris, the star was waiting for a real glory. An exotic dancer conquered the French capital with a new Charleston dance and bold choreographic improvisations. Her hallmark was a dance in a banana skirt. Impeccable forms, naked breasts, bright white-toothed smile - the young actress received the flattering nickname "Black Venus". Soon they learned about her performances in Brussels, Madrid, Berlin - the rising star's tours invariably gathered the full box office. Today, experts find in dance improvisations Baker elements of step, hip-hop, hustle and other trends that will appear after many decades. The dancer was famous for extremely bold costumes and very candid poses, which is why she was banned from performing in some cities, for example, Prague and Munich. However, restrictions and discontented cries of critics only fueled public interest, each performance was sold out.
After success in the European capitals, Josephine, who became the prima of her own troupe, went on a grand tour of Eastern Europe and Latin America. The tour was successful, returning, Baker decided to try herself in the role of the singer and was enthusiastically received by the audience. She performed with solo numbers in the show, began acting in films. In France, Josephine was a recognized primitive of the entertainment genre, while in America she became the target of racist attacks. Attempts to perform in the United States ended in failure - the actress experienced this failure for a long and painful time.
Baker met the start of World War II in France - by then she had already received citizenship of this country. The actress speaks to the troops, works for intelligence, actively participates in the resistance movement. She receives a pilot's license and the rank of lieutenant. The military merit of the star was marked by the orders of Resistance, Liberation and the Military Cross, later Baker was awarded the Legion of Honor.
After the war, the actress and singer continued performing. Trying herself in different genres, acting in films and directing her own shows. In 1956, she announced her departure from the scene, but soon returned. Performances continued until 1975 and culminated in the grandiose premiere of the Josephine gala show. Shortly after the triumph, the actress felt bad, doctors diagnosed an extensive hemorrhage in the brain. Josephine Baker passed away in April 1975 and was buried in Monaco with all military honors.
