Today, our traditional column ‘Stars of the Jazz Age,’ features the story of the first black superstar, the legendary dancer, singer and actress of the 20^th century, Josephine Baker. Whatever she did — dance, star in films, music, social activity – this woman broke stereotypes and paved the way for those who followed her.
A selection of musical compositions performed by Josephine Baker is posted in the museum Phonoteque.

American Josephine Baker appeared at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in 1925 with her show La Revue Nègre and was the first to introduce France to the Charleston, effectively ushering in the jazz age in the Old World. Her performances helped introduce European audiences to a new form of dance music that emerged during the Harlem Renaissance (the heyday of African-American culture in the 1920–1930s). Her flamboyant, provocative style seemed to be born out of resistance. Her entire appearance seemed to declare: I will be even more incredible, wild and exaggerated than you can imagine! Hence her stage costumes, such as the famous skirt made of artificial bananas, which ironically played on racial clichés. Or her public image, which bordered on scandalous – walking around Paris with her pet cheetah and riding in a carriage drawn by an ostrich.

The young Josephine dazzled audiences in Berlin, Brussels and Copenhagen. Her bold and provocative style was met with both delight and outrage. Because of her incredible costumes and dances, Josephine Baker was banned from performing in Vienna, Prague, Budapest and Munich, which made the dancer even more popular. To rapturous applause, she appeared on stage either inside an Easter egg made of satin roses or lying on a mirror.

In 1927, the first film starring Josephine Baker was released – “Les Femmes du Folies Bergère”, followed by “La Sirène des Tropiques”, “Zou-Zou”, “La Princesse Tam-Tam” and “Le Faux Alerte”. She was filmed extensively, and Josephine's fees were the highest in Europe. She was not only a dancer but a singer as well. In 1931, she released her hit song “J'ai deux amours”, which became one of the symbols of the artist's work.

Over the years, her style changed. After World War II, another image was added to that of the diva in luxurious dresses: Josephine Baker in a lieutenant's military uniform with medals on her chest, including the Legion of Honour. For her participation in intelligence activities and the Resistance movement during the war, Josephine was also awarded the Resistance and Liberation medals and the Military Cross.

The actor became famous for her affairs. Among her admirers were princes, sheikhs, legendary actors of the 20^th century, writers and painters. Josephine was the muse of Christian Dior. She appeared in outfits by Pierre Balmain and Madeleine Vionnet not only on stage, but also in everyday life. Josephine adopted 12 children of different nationalities. This was her personal contribution to the fight against racism and segregation. Martin Luther King recognised Baker's work and invited her to speak at the march in Washington in 1963.

Josephine became the first American to be buried in France with military honours. Princess Grace took her remains to be buried in the princely cemetery of Monaco. In 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron decided to reburial Josephine Baker in the Pantheon in Paris, where a solemn ceremony to unveil her cenotaph took place November 30, 2021 (her actual grave remains in Monaco).