As I was watching the Birth and Life of Opera, I got slightly distracted by this Disney animated short story, The Paperboy. If you have 6 minutes to spare, I suggest taking a look at it.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Much More Than Burnt Cork
The times were different during the Vaudeville era, and because of racial segregation, White performers were allowed to step over line. Called Minstrel shows, these Vaudeville performances featured a type of clown-esque makeup nicknamed "black face." Using burnt cork and white lips, performers would over-pronounce African American features. The whole get-up was used to mimic stereotypical African Americans in a comedic way. Certain characters that would reappear in these shows included Jim Crow and Zip Coon.
African American performers began to emerge with their own authentic shows that were free of "black face," however, they were often forced to perform in a racial context. Some black performers used black face to exaggerate themselves, in the same way an Auguste Clown would with a red nose, wig, and white paint. As I learned from the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, these clowns used this makeup in order to help the audience see the facial expressions the clowns were making. This makeup also acted as a mask for performers to hide behind, sometimes boosting confidence.
Although many of the African American Vaudeville actors were extremely talented, few matched the level of Joséphine Baker. Joséphine started recording her own music in 1957 and starred in several films. Joséphine was an incredibly talented and strong individual who essentially brought herself to the top. To coincide with her belief that all people around the world should coexist, Joséphine adopted 12 orphans. Joséphine was a large contributor to the civil rights movement of her time,
Joséphine performed 4 sell-out shows at Carnegie Hall. Joséphine was idolized for her talent and beauty until the day she died. She is easily one of the most multi-talented performers I have learned about through my years in music, and always a pleasure to listen to.
African American performers began to emerge with their own authentic shows that were free of "black face," however, they were often forced to perform in a racial context. Some black performers used black face to exaggerate themselves, in the same way an Auguste Clown would with a red nose, wig, and white paint. As I learned from the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, these clowns used this makeup in order to help the audience see the facial expressions the clowns were making. This makeup also acted as a mask for performers to hide behind, sometimes boosting confidence.
Although many of the African American Vaudeville actors were extremely talented, few matched the level of Joséphine Baker. Joséphine started recording her own music in 1957 and starred in several films. Joséphine was an incredibly talented and strong individual who essentially brought herself to the top. To coincide with her belief that all people around the world should coexist, Joséphine adopted 12 orphans. Joséphine was a large contributor to the civil rights movement of her time,
Joséphine performed 4 sell-out shows at Carnegie Hall. Joséphine was idolized for her talent and beauty until the day she died. She is easily one of the most multi-talented performers I have learned about through my years in music, and always a pleasure to listen to.
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