Following In The Steps Of Josephine Baker In France

The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

This is where it really all began for Josephine Baker. It was in this theatre that she first took to the stages of the French capital, in the ‘Revue Nègre’ venture, which kickstarted her career. Wearing little more than a belt of feathers, she wowed, shocked but consistently captivated audiences with her provocative and ‘exotic’ danse sauvage. Her success was instantaneous and eruptive.

In this short clip, Baker is pictured in her performance of the Revue Nègre:

Operas and orchestral performances continue to take place at the theatre today, but nothing quite like the raunchy performances of Baker during the twenties.

15 Avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris

Folies Bergère

Once the ‘Revue Nègre’ had come to an end in 1926, Josephine took her talents to the stage at Folies-Bergère theatre, with her new show ‘La Folie du Jour’. It was here that she first wore her iconic banana skirt and fully cemented herself as leading lady of the Jazz scene, that took Paris by storm. This re-appropriation of caricatured exoticisms proved to be a fantastic success, and in many ways represented a precursor to the literary phenomenon of the Négritude (a movement which sought to reject Western domination in all its forms).

Josephine Baker performing at the Folies-Bergère. Left: © Lucien Walery, Right: © Lucien Walery l WikiCommons

This hotel is most famous for having been where the Lumière brothers first showcased their cinema invention in 1895. Josephine Baker was just one of the famous names to have frequented the luxury rooms, throughout the 1950s with her family, friends and adopted children. Today, the hotel has a wall with an enormous photo of her printed onto it.

La Coupole

This restaurant was one of Josephine Baker’s favorite dining haunts. It was built in 1927, to be the biggest restaurant that Paris had ever seen and was a symbol of the flamboyance and extravagance of the Roaring Twenties and was known to be the place to find artists and performers dancing and ‘being seen’. The brasserie’s decor was inspired by the art deco movement at the time and this is reflected in its dedication to straight lines, pillars and geometric shapes, representing nature. It was named a ‘temple of Art Deco’.

La Coupole Brasserie © Tomoyoshi NOGUCHI l WikiCommons

On April 8th 1975, Josephine made her grand come-back performance at the Bobino Theater in Paris, shortly following an unsuccessful trip back to the USA. The audience was made up of many celebrities, including Princess Grace of Monaco. Even if America had not been ready to appreciate her, France was. At this time, she was aged 68 and yet the reviews for this performance, which was a compilation of routines from throughout her career, were some of her best ever.

Listen to Baker singing about her ‘Paris Chéri’ (darling Paris):

Sadly, a few days following this epic performance, the star died from a cerebral hemorrhage. Fittingly, her funeral was to be held in Paris, and it was at the Madeleine church in Montparnasse, where Baker had spent so much of her time. It seems only right that such a magnificent woman should have their life celebrated in such a magnificent building.Finally, so much was her popularity in Paris, there are a few places which have been named after her in more recent years…

Place Josephine Baker

This square was named after Josephine Baker, in the bohemian area of Montparnasse in the year 2000. It was here that she spent so much of her time performing and socializing and it is perhaps here that she will be most fondly remembered.

Place Josephine Baker © shelleybell l Pixabay

Finally, yes, there is a swimming pool named after the wonderful woman. And yes, it is suspended over the River Seine. Although it is obviously too recent to have ever been seen by Baker herself, it is a symbol of how her legacy continues to live on in Paris.However, it was not just Paris that Baker became fond of, in fact her legacy remains across the whole country.

Château des Milandes

If you happen to be in the wonderful southwestern region of ‘Le Périgord’ (or “La Dordogne as you may know it), the magnificent Chateau that Baker made her home after a few years of renting it should not be missed. 14 of the rooms are open to the public and guides are available of the castle and wonderful grounds. It was here that she brought up her many adopted children, who she was known to refer to fondly as her ‘rainbow tribe’. And what a place to grow up.

Château des Milandes © Fidber/ Flickr