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The Documentary: Black Music in Europe: Black Music in Europe: 1920-1930

Clarke Peters

06/06/2020 GMT

Black Music in Europe: 1920-1930

Black Music in Europe

BBC World Service - The Documentary, Black Music in Europe, Black Music in Europe: 1920-1930

The sounds of Zonophone records and African-American jazz in 1920s Paris, Josephine Baker

The sounds of Zonophone records and African-American jazz in 1920s Paris, through the work of Josephine Baker.

Clarke Peters explores the sounds of Zonophone records, a pioneering label that recorded a huge amount of early African popular music. Many of these discs were made in London for export to West Africa, including several Nigerian hymns recorded in 1922 by Fela Kuti's grandfather. The programme also includes the sounds of African-American jazz in 1920s Paris, especially the work of Josephine Baker, the world's first black superstar.

Much of the music in this series is drawn from Black Europe, a vast boxset issued by Bear Family Records and documenting the sounds of the era.

With readings by Paterson Joseph.

Presenter: Clarke Peters
Producer: Tom Woolfenden

(Photo: Clark Peters. Credit:: Alexandra Quinn)

The Documentary: Black Music in Europe

Clarke Peters uncovers the stories of black musicians in Europe up to the Jazz Age.

Clarke Peters draws on a rare collection of archive recordings to explore a forgotten musical history.
 
Received wisdom has it that black popular music arrived in Europe with the Empire Windrush in 1948, but Clarke brings us black sounds recorded in Europe from as far back as 1900.
 
Focusing on early commercial discs made in the recording studios of London, Paris and Berlin, we hear from dozens of different performers, including African American travelling entertainers, traditional African musicians, black British classical composers and more.

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