1 CROSSING THE POND: JAZZ, RACE, AND GENDER IN INTERWAR PARIS A dissertation presented by Rachel Anne Gillett to The Department of History In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the field of History Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts May, 2010 2 CROSSING THE POND: JAZZ, RACE, AND GENDER IN INTERWAR PARIS by Rachel Anne Gillett Between 1920 and 1939 the nightclubs of Montmartre became a venue where different nationalities came into contact, danced, talked, and took advantage of the freedom to cross the color line that Paris and the ―color-blind‖ French audience seemed to offer. The fascination for black performers known as the tumulte noir provided the occasion for hundreds of jazz and blues performers to migrate to Paris in these years. French society was inundated with the sounds of jazz and also with images and stereotypes of jazz performers that often contained primitivist, exotic and sexualized associations. The popularity of jazz and its characterization as ―black‖ music raised the question of how the French state dealt with racial difference. It caused consternation among „non- jazz‟ black men and women throughout the Francophone Atlantic many of whom were engaged in constructing an intellectual pan-Africanist discourse with a view to achieving full citizenship and respect for French colonial subjects. This manuscript examines the tension between French ideals of equality, and „color-blindness,‟ and the actual experiences of black men and women in Paris between the wars. Although officially operating within the framework of a color-blind Republican model, France has faced acute dilemmas about how to deal with racial and ethnic differences that continue to spark debate and controversy. This project contributes to understanding the historical foundations of such situations by analyzing the clash of French reactions to African-American performers and French colonial immigrants of color in the interwar years. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Northeastern University May, 2010 3 Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 9 1. Jazz, Racial Prejudice, and the black community in Paris ...................................... 49 2. Black Cosmopolitanism in the interwar Atlantic .................................................... 90 3. Black Women, Jazz, and Race Uplift ................................................................... 127 4. The Jazz Migration, Race Uplift, and Black Men ............................................... 188 5. Reclaiming the biguine: dance, political action, and the bals colonial ............... 244 6. Performing racial difference at the Colonial Exposition of 1931 ........................ 297 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 355 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 365 4 Acknowledgements A Phd, in my opinion, stands for persistence, hard work, and ―damn good people who make sure you get it done.‖ Many people have pushed me to get it done. I have enjoyed the fine collegiate environment at Northeastern. I owe particular thanks to the Provost‘s office at Northeastern for covering my tuition fees while overseas on a research grant and for a dissertation completion grant. I was able to conduct research in France and collect essential evidence for the dissertation thanks to a Chateaubriand Grant for Research in the Humanities from the French Government. A Penna summer research grant from the Northeastern History department meant I could return to France to complete my research. In the course of my archival research I benefitted from the expertise of numerous archivists. Staff at the Schomburg Center for Black Culture in New York patiently directed me to the relevant collections. In France at the Bibliothèque Nationale I was graced with the enthusiastic assistance of Ann LeGrand who shared the Charles Delaunay archives (her life‘s work) with me. Similarly Daniel Alogues the archivist for the Hugues Panassiè collection in the medieval walled town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue showered me with source material and even pressed me into service working the slide-projector for his annual address to the local jazz club. The British library never failed to provide a haven for writing and research that restored my faith in the enterprise of scholarship. Recently the staff at the Emory University archives eagerly introduced me to the collection there. 5 In the last few years I have been challenged, supported, and stimulated by conversations with many scholars and fellow graduates. My cohort of Chateaubriand fellows were a lively bunch and we shared many tips about, and tales of woe from, the BnF and life in Paris. I am particularly grateful to Isabel Suchanek, Sarah Barker, Liz Cherry, Isabelle Monette and Eddy Kolla my scholars-in-arms in Paris, and to the home away from home at St. Georges church. Ethan Katz was generous with advice both practical and intellectual. I was grateful, too, for thought-provoking email exchanges with Professor Brent Hayes Edwards, Professor Jennifer Boittin, and Professor Tyler Stovall, among others, all of whom responded to my questions with interest and helpful comments. Closer to home, the graduate community at Northeastern over the last few years has gained in vibrancy. My own research has been invigorated by the very evident seriousness, depth, and solidity of the research being conducted by the current batch of doctoral students. In particular Zach Scarlett‘s professionalism is matched by intellectual rigor, complete reliability, and a pretty decent sense of fun too! Stefany Boyle is my go-to-gal for passionate and heated debates on agency, Eurocentrism, nationalist hip-hop and masculinity, and the validity of the academic enterprise. Tiffany and Jeremy were in the program when I arrived and have maintained an active and encouraging academic presence particularly through our shared involvement in the WHA. I have been blessed with great mentors and coaches among the faculty at Northeastern. I owe thanks to Emmett Price and Murray Forman whose thought-provoking teaching and research helped me to see how the study of music illumines much broader societal processes. 6 Within the history department Jeff Burds‘ eagle eye, Karin Velez‘s brilliance and support, and Ilham Makdisi‘s quiet warmth and genuine concern for my progress have been much appreciated. Charissa Threat‘s friendship and her pragmatic tips for one in the final throes of a dissertation were invaluable – as was the use of her apartment for a week to ‗get away from everything and write.‘ Harvey Green, thanks for your humor, and the way you remind me that cultural history is a rich vein that must be tapped. Gerry Herman‘s insight into interdisciplinary studies and the interwar era has been invaluable. Clay McShane – what can I say – your public shame campaign helped me get there in the end! Take a look at chapter five for your influence. I owe an enormous debt to four people at Northeastern who have been instrumental in the formation and completion of the dissertation. Nancy Borromey, thank you for being on my case, looking out for me when it came to the regulations. Judith Tick is a phenomenal scholar who pioneered the field of women in music and sparked the interest that started me on the doctoral path. Our exchanges always left me buzzing with a renewed sense of vision, purpose, and scholarly inspiration. Tim Brown agreed to join my committee shortly after his arrival at Northeastern and picked his interventions with wisdom and great aptitude for knowing exactly what type of input I needed, when. Laura Frader towers above everyone in my academic world. Head of department, supervisor, she-who-does-all-things. I don‘t think anyone has read more of my writing, corrected more of my painfully verbose prose, or gently suggested more improvements to the dissertation than Laura. I have popped into her office for ―pick-me-up‖ chats or quick advice sessions countless times over the past years, and she has always found a solution to intellectual and 7 administrative problems that have threatened to scupper my enthusiasm and at times the dissertation. Laura‘s patient close-reading has been a constant education in the art of writing elegantly. Laura‘s relentless focus on gender issues, and acute ability to critique and respond to new work in every field has been a constant inspiration. Many, many friends and acquaintances have provided richness and breadth in my personal world outside academia. Thanks to the Kettersons, especially Al and Lillie, for reminding me of the curiosity we‘re all born with, and to Beth for material support over the years. Thanks to all my friends from Touch Rugby! A breath of fresh (sometimes hot, muggy, sweaty) air which always left me invigorated for more work on the dastardly diss. All my singing friends from Trinity Church, the Copley Singers, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and St. Peter‘s, Central Square. Thanks especially to Sarah Gemmill Knudsen who traded writing tips over Sangria and gifted me with your house in Vermont for weeks at a time to write. And to Matt Landry, longtime friend and confidante. The University of Otago provided