Josephine Baker

Josephine Baker

She was born in 1906 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was also known by the name of The Black Venus and she became an important dancer, singer and actress.

Early she headed in New York the performance of the reveu show "Shuffle Along" (1921) and "The Chocolate Dandies" (1924) in some music places as The Plantation Club.

In 1925 she went to Paris being part of the chorus line of "La Reveu Nègre". She performed there her famous "Danse Sauvage" practically nude with a single skirt made of bananas and a pair of necklaces covering her breasts. The audience was so amazed by her show that in only three months she became the main star of "La Folie du Jour". Most times she took to the stages her pet "Chiquita" a chimpanzee that even gave more exotism to her shows.

With a singular and exceptional voice she also began an important singer career and early her song "J'ai Deux Amours" (1931) became a hit. By this time she also made her debut in cinema with films such as "La Sirène des Tropiques" (1927) directed by Mario Nalpas, "Zouzou" (1934) by Marc Allégret, "Princesse Tamtam" (1935) by Edmond T. Gréville, or "Moulin Rouge" (1941) directed by Yves Mirande.

In 1937 she was so grateful to her french audience that she took french nacionality. Despite she was a very successful artist in Europe, moreover in France, she didn't have the same fortune in her own country. But finally in 1973 she was welcome with open arms at the "Carnegie Hall".

She was also a spy of French Underground during the Second World War and for this reason she received the golden "Croix de Guerre".

She was married until six times and it was said that she had a love affair with the mexican surrealistic painter Frida Kalho.
She also fought against racial discrimination and adopted twelve children of different races that she called "The Rainbow Tribe".

She loved so much animals that she even had seven dogs, three cats, a pig, a got, a snake, a chimpanzee, a parrot, and a parakeet.

She died in 1975 because of a cerebral haemorrhage when she was 68 becoming the first american woman that received french militar honours in her funeral and leaving behind her an important artistic and social repercussion.
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