Josephine Baker or "Black Venus" is the real embodiment of the "Roaring 20s", a symbol of the Art Deco era, jazz, and the heyday of cinema. A woman with incredible energy and charisma, who managed to break through from the very bottom and conquer the high society, creative bohemians and politicians with her talent. No one could understand what the secret of Josephine was, and she herself, being a real master of mystification, never revealed her secret.
Childhood and youth
Josephine (real name Frieda Josephine MacDonald) was born in 1906 into a very poor family. Most biographers believe that she was the illegitimate daughter of musician Eddie Carson, but some deny this fact. The girl's mother, a black laundress, earned little, and her father soon left the family. Mother remarried, stepfather adopted baby Josephine and her brothers. In 1917, the girl had to endure the horror of the massacre in St. Louis, to witness the death of neighbors and friends. These events engraved in the memory of the future star, later she became one of the most fierce fighters against racism.
Childhood Tampi (as her family 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 badly, made terrible mistakes in English. At the age of 13, Tampi was married - for the society in which she lived, such marriages were not unusual. In the same 1919, the future actress made her debut; she entered the theatrical stage as a statistician, not so much to realize a dream, but to earn extra money. 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 for 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 fought in New York, where her creative life was in full swing. She was a statistician, a chorus girl, participated in a very fashionable Negro revue in those years. After several shows in a New York club, the charismatic actress and singer was noticed, and soon she received an invitation to Paris, to a similar revue at the Champs Elysees theater.
In Paris, the aspiring star was waiting for real glory. The exotic dancer conquered the French capital with her new Charleston dance and daring choreographic improvisations. Her trademark is 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 tour of the rising star invariably collected full box offices. Today, experts find in Baker's dance improvisations elements of tap, hip-hop, hustle and other directions that will appear many decades later. The dancer was famous for her extremely daring costumes and very candid poses, which is why she was banned from performing in some cities, for example, Prague and Munich. However, the restrictions and disgruntled screams of critics only fueled the interest of the public, each performance was sold out.
After the success in European capitals, Josephine, who became the prima of her own troupe, embarked on a grand tour of Eastern Europe and Latin America. The tour was successful, returning, Baker decided to try herself in the role of a singer and was enthusiastically received by the public. She performed with solo numbers in the show, began acting in films. In France, Josephine was recognized as the primacy of the entertainment genre, while in America she was the target of racist attacks. Attempts to perform in the United States ended in failure - the actress experienced this failure for a long time and painfully.
Baker met the beginning of the Second World War in France - by that time she had already received the citizenship of this country. The actress speaks to the troops, works for reconnaissance, actively participates in the Resistance movement. She receives a pilot's license and the rank of lieutenant. The star's military merit was awarded the Orders of Resistance, Liberation and the Military Cross, and Baker was later awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor.
After the war, the actress and singer continued to perform. Trying myself in different genres, acting in films and directing my own shows. In 1956, she announced her retirement from the stage, but soon returned. The performances continued until 1975 and ended with the grandiose premiere of the Josephine gala. Soon after the triumph, the actress felt unwell, doctors diagnosed a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Josephine Baker died in April 1975 and was buried in Monaco with all military honors.
Personal life
The personal life of an outrageous actress, singer and dancer is full of hoaxes, legends, bold and even shocking acts. She was married 5 times, and she entered into the first 2 marriages even before she celebrated her fifteenth birthday. Her famous lovers include the writer Joro Simenon, Prince Adolphe, Ernest Hemingway. Josephine did not make a cult out of carnal love, believing that its significance was too exaggerated. The exact number of close friends of the actress is unknown; in her numerous autobiographies, she deliberately confused dates and events.
In 1926, Josephine married Pepito Abatino, one of the participants in the show. The Sicilian stone mason, quite successfully posing as an aristocrat with a loud title, was for a long time the lover and at the same time the manager of the actress. The marriage did not last long, but gave Josephine a big name and added bright colors to her biography.
A bold, extravagant and very humane act - the creation of the "House of the Rainbow". Baker adopted 12 babies of different nationalities: Colombian, Japanese, French, Arab, Jew … The family lived in Josephine's huge house and, despite frequent funding problems, was very friendly. Grown up children, even after the death of their adoptive mother, often gathered under one roof, remembering the one that gave them such an unusual fate - the bright, shocking, infinitely kind Josephine.
