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Josephine Baker's debut in Paris on this day in 1925, was a pivotal moment in her career and played a significant role in her rise to international stardom.
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How did Josephine Baker start in Paris?
On October 2, 1925, Josephine Baker made her debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris as part of the cast of the revue "La Revue Nègre." This marked her first performance in Paris and was the beginning of her career in the city.
How was Josephine Baker received in Paris?
Josephine Baker's exotic dance style was met with enthusiasm and applause. During her debut in "La Revue Nègre," she performed various dances, including her famous "Danse Sauvage" (Savage Dance) wearing little more than a skirt of artificial bananas.
How did Josephine Baker's career progress after her debut in Paris?
Following her debut, Josephine Baker's career continued to soar. She performed at prestigious venues such as the Folies Bergère and gained recognition as a singer and actress as well. She became one of the most celebrated and highly paid performers in Europe, achieving worldwide fame.
What was Josephine Baker's impact on race relations and civil rights?
Josephine Baker's presence in Paris allowed her to escape the racial segregation and discrimination she faced in the United States. She used her fame to advocate for civil rights, and she refused to perform in segregated American venues. She later became involved in the civil rights movement and was a supporter of the NAACP.
Josephine Baker's debut in Paris on this day in 1925, was a pivotal moment in her career and played a significant role in her rise to international stardom.
Get This Happened straight to your inbox ✉️ each day! Sign up here.
How did Josephine Baker start in Paris?
On October 2, 1925, Josephine Baker made her debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris as part of the cast of the revue "La Revue Nègre." This marked her first performance in Paris and was the beginning of her career in the city.
How was Josephine Baker received in Paris?
Josephine Baker's exotic dance style was met with enthusiasm and applause. During her debut in "La Revue Nègre," she performed various dances, including her famous "Danse Sauvage" (Savage Dance) wearing little more than a skirt of artificial bananas.
How did Josephine Baker's career progress after her debut in Paris?
Following her debut, Josephine Baker's career continued to soar. She performed at prestigious venues such as the Folies Bergère and gained recognition as a singer and actress as well. She became one of the most celebrated and highly paid performers in Europe, achieving worldwide fame.
What was Josephine Baker's impact on race relations and civil rights?
Josephine Baker's presence in Paris allowed her to escape the racial segregation and discrimination she faced in the United States. She used her fame to advocate for civil rights, and she refused to perform in segregated American venues. She later became involved in the civil rights movement and was a supporter of the NAACP.
BOGOTÁ — In the 1940s, Medellín wasn't just Colombia's chief industrial city but also boasted the most brothels, sex workers and "red light" districts.
As a columnist from Bogotá wrote, "You enter Medellín through a brothel." One conservative daily newspaper proclaimed in an editorial that the city was a "branch of Sodom and Gomorrah."
Tolerance zones
The "tolerance zones" permitted by the city council were a handy earner in terms of taxes. In those days, the city was embarking on an architectural revolution, with the construction of new landmarks like the Hotel Nutibara, the Fabricato building and La Bastilla passage. It was a time of all kinds of excesses, which oddly belied Medellín's essence as a conservative small town (with big-city aspirations).
There were crusades against venereal disease and immorality. Quietly and furtively, people mentioned gonorrhea, touting lemon drops or potassium permanganate as the cure, and suggested an "urgent" post-coital wash to avoid catching it. By the 1980s, when the drug cartels took over the city, the word gonorrhea could be heard out loud and frequently, entering daily language both as an insult and term of endearment, depending on the tone. The same was true with hideputa (son-of-a-bitch), as Sancho Panza says beautifully in the novel Don Quixote.
The love district of Medellín
That era in Medellín saw the birth of a district of elegant brothels, with "high-class" madams. It was the aptly named Lovaina. The ladies were more attractive, costly and "modest" (many had sex under a blanket so the Heart of Jesus they had on the wall wouldn't witness their acts). And while the city heard sermons against perversion, brothels increased as did the range and variety of sexual practices. Copulate and commune were frequently conjugated verbs of the time.
Not that it was all peace and roses in the city before.
Lovaina was a district frequented by ministers, mayors and industrialists looking for novelty. They would quip — and it wasn't such a far-fetched observation — that Colombia's National Front period (when the two main political parties agreed to rotate power) was decided in that district of vices.
Not that it was all peace and roses in the city back then. In the early 1950s, when one of the mayors ordered all the vice to be moved to a single district, Barrio Antioquia, the two sides had already begun settling scores across the city. The decade of violence — with its multiple forms of refined cruelty and unspeakable practices — had begun.
Today, Medellín, the home of a once-vigorous (and fading) conservatism, is being termed an "open air" brothel. Cheaper prostitution dens formed around the downtown Church of Veracruz some time ago. The sex work industry there has flourished in line with the city center's degradation. Drug peddling is rife, and the pimps and their "girls" (as some still insist on calling themselves) are common. Boys and girls are available — and often forcibly so — in the Berrío park and Botero square, by the sculptures that are the city's pride.
Medellín seems to have lost its dreams and become a den of inequality.
People are indignant these days that prostitution should have spread to the city's fancier districts, such as Parque Lleras and El Poblado.
Once an industrial city, Medellín seems to have lost its dreams and become a den of inequality. You'll hear some people blame the pandemic and migrants for its dishevelment. It may be a convenient pretext as always, but these two elements have worsened the many social, economic and planning problems that no local government has addressed.
No, the city is no Sodom or Gomorrah (or as some here say, "Sodom and Gonorrhea"), but a little hell of its own with more than the nine circles of an Inferno.
Where is Medellín?
Medellín is located in the northwestern part of Colombia, South America. It is the capital of the Antioquia department and serves as a major economic, cultural, and industrial hub within the country. The city is situated in the Aburrá Valley of the Andes Mountains, giving it a unique topography and a pleasant climate.
What are the politics of Medellín?
Medellín, like any large and diverse city, is characterized by a range of political and social perspectives. While it might be associated with conservative values of the Catholic Church, it's essential to recognize the diversity of opinions and beliefs within the population.
The city has undergone significant transformations in recent decades, with efforts to improve infrastructure, reduce crime rates, and promote social development. Additionally, Medellín is known for its cultural richness, innovative urban projects, and a growing reputation as a hub for technology and innovation.
How did COVID-19 affect Colombia?
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted Colombia, challenging its healthcare system with a surge in cases and straining economic sectors, particularly tourism and small businesses. The government responded with measures like lockdowns and financial aid programs, aiming to contain the virus and support those affected economically. Educational disruptions occurred as schools adapted to remote learning, and the pandemic had broader social and psychological consequences as people coped with isolation and uncertainty.
