Archive for April, 2016

A Tribute to Jo Privat

Wednesday, April 6th, 2016
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Balajo

Balajo
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I was recently honored to receive an invitation from author and journalist Claude Dubois to attend a concert at Balajo, a dance hall on rue de Lappe.

Muriel Privat (on left with microphone),  Jo Privat, Junior (on right with accordion)

Muriel Privat (on left with microphone), Jo Privat, Junior (on right with accordion)
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

The concert was held in honor of Jo Privat (1919 – 1996), who played the accordion there for some fifty years. When I arrived, Jo Privat, Junior (the son of Jo Privat) and his wife Muriel were on stage with other musicians performing waltz musette to an appreciative audience of mostly old folks, who were turning on the dance floor.

Claude Dubois Talks about Jo Privat

Claude Dubois Talks about Jo Privat
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

During the intermission, Mr. Dubois took the stage to recount his memories of Jo Privat, whom he was acquainted with, when, as a young man, he frequented Balajo. Mr. Dubois has written a number of books about the colorful history of the places on rue de Lappe, including a 640 page tome entitled La Bastoch (Paris, Tempus Perrin, 2011).

Antoine and Daniela

Antoine and Daniela
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

A number of people were there dressed in clothes that evoked the fashions of the 1930s, including a dapper young couple who posed for a photograph.

Gaston, Claire, and Dominique

Gaston, Claire, and Dominique
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

I liked the scarf that Gaston was wearing, so I asked him to pose with his friends.

Claude Dubois et Raoul D'Aubervilliers

Claude Dubois et Raoul D’Aubervilliers
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Mr. Dubois posed with a friend Raoul D’Aubervilliers.

A sample of the music of Jo Privat can be heard on YouTube at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRLvLcYKHyQ.

Claude Dubois’ book on the life of Jo Privat is available on Amazon.fr at the following link: http://amzn.to/1Sb4w6i.

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James A. Emanuel Poetry Night at the American Library in Paris

Tuesday, April 5th, 2016
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On Tuesday evening, March 29, the American Library in Paris hosted a tribute to James A. Emanuel. Born in 1921 and raised in the small town of Alliance, Nebraska, Emanuel went on to become professor of African-American poetry at the City College of New York. In 1984, following the death of his son, he moved to Paris. He died there in 2013.

The American Library’s biography of the poet states:
“James A. Emanuel was one of America’s greatest poets and academic scholars. Often overlooked, Emanuel’s fame did not equal the enormous output of his work. He published 400 poems and 13 volumes of poetry, including The Force and the Reckoning, an autobiography. He was a well-respected teacher who influenced an entire generation of students and poets.”

The evening program included readings of Emanuel’s poetry by author Jake Lamar; actress and director Ariane Crochet; professor Marcus Bruce; writer, editor, and entrepreneur Monique Y. Wells; editor and translator Wendy Johnson; and spoken-word artist Mike Ladd. Saxophonist Chansse Evans and drummer Chris Henderson provided musical accompaniment to Lamar’s reading of several of Emanuel’s jazz haikus. Following the reading, retired teacher, engraver, and photographer Godelieve Simons and retired teacher Annick Bossuet gave personal testimonials about Emanuel.

Clockwise from left: Jake Lamar, Marcus Bruce, Monique Y. Wells, Mike Ladd, Ariane Crochet, Wendy Johnson

Clockwise from left: Jake Lamar, Marcus Bruce, Monique Y. Wells, Mike Ladd, Ariane Crochet, Wendy Johnson
Photographs by www.DiscoverParis.net

Chansse Evans and Chris Henderson

Chansse Evans and Chris Henderson
Photographs by www.DiscoverParis.net

Godelieve Simons and Annick Bossuet

Godelieve Simons and Annick Bossuet
Photographs by www.DiscoverParis.net

Reading Poetry to Jazz

Reading Poetry to Jazz
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

Attendees at Tribute to James A. Emanuel

Attendees at Tribute to James A. Emanuel
Photograph by www.DiscoverParis.net

An online tribute to James A. Emanuel can be found here: http://blogcritics.org/no-more-ghettos-on-the-death-of-james-a-emanuel-poet/

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