Black History 365: Julia Bullock

December 8, 2022

about

Julia Bullock is an American classical singer who “communicates intense, authentic feeling, as if she were singing right from her soul” (Opera News).

Black History 365: Mashama Bailey

December 7, 2022

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashama_Bailey

Mashama Bailey is an American chef trained in French technique who is currently cooking Southern cuisine. In 2019, Bailey was awarded a James Beard Award as best chef of the southeast.[1] In 2022, Bailey was awarded a James Beard Award as Outstanding Chef.[2]

Early life and education

Mashama Bailey was born to David and Catherine Bailey in the Bronx.[3] She was the eldest of three with one sister and one brother.[4] Bailey moved to Waynesboro, Georgia at the age of 2, Savannah, Georgia at 5, and then to Queens, New York when she was 11.[5] Bailey learned to cook from her mother and grandmother.[4]

After graduating from Francis Lewis High School, Bailey attended Sullivan County Community College[3] where she studied physical therapy and later switched to social work.[6] Early in her career Bailey worked at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, New York. As the project underwent changes she was let go, an experience that became a catalyst for her to explore the culinary arts. [7] She enrolled in Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School, and after graduating began her culinary career at Aquagrill in SoHo. [7]

Bailey, interested in exploring the wider range of careers available in the culinary arts, took a break from the restaurant industry, during which time she worked as a personal chef on the Upper East Side.[8] This left some of her family concerned with the racial and class dynamics, as it seemed a return to how her grandmother migrated from Georgia to Manhattan and worked as a maid. Bailey’s grandmother worked within several households, one of the more famous being that of Art Carney. [3]

Working as a personal chef didn’t inspire Bailey as she had hoped, and during this time she applied for a work-study program that led her to Château du Fey in Burgundy, France.[4] There she was mentored by Anne Willan who advised her to continue cooking in restaurants instead of exploring a culinary writing career. [9]

Career

Bailey started her career as an intern at Aquagrill in 2001, and also worked at David Burke and Donatella, and the Oak Room in the Plaza Hotel.[10] In 2010, Bailey was hired at Prune, where she was quickly promoted to sous-chef and worked for four years.[11]

Startup entrepreneur John O. Morisano heard about Bailey through the chef and owner of Prune, Gabrielle Hamilton, and reached out to her about a long-abandoned, former Jim Crow segregated Greyhound station he’d bought in Savannah, Georgia.[12][13] Across the street from the property is the Chatham County Courthouse where Bailey’s parents were married in the 1980s.[14] The restaurant, named The Grey, was nominated for the 2015 James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Restaurant.[15]

On October 15, 2018, Morisano and Bailey opened The Grey Market in Savannah inspired by Southern lunch counters and New York City bodegas.[16] Since 2017, Bailey has served as chairwoman of the Edna Lewis Foundation, which works to “revive, preserve, and celebrate the rich history of African-American cookery by cultivating a deeper understanding of Southern food and culture in America.”[11][17]

Awards

  • The Grey was named one of Food & Wine‘s best restaurants of 2019.[18]
  • Winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast in 2019.[1]
  • In 2018, she was nominated for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Southeast.[19]
  • The Grey was one of Food & Wine‘s best restaurants of 2015.[20]
  • The Grey was the 2017 Restaurant of the Year from Eater[21]
  • The Grey was chosen as one of the best 100 places in the world by Time in 2018.[12]
  • Winner James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in 2022. [2]

Television

She was a featured chef in the sixth season of Netflix‘s Chef’s Table and was a guest on season 14, episode 6 of Top Chef.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashama_Bailey

Black History 365: Stromae

December 6, 2022

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stromae

Paul Van Haver (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpɔu̯l vɑn ˈɦaːvər]; born 12 March 1985), better known by his stage name Stromae (French pronunciation: ​[stʁɔmaj][1]), is a Belgian singer, rapper, songwriter and producer. He is mostly known for his works in the genre of the hip hop and electronic music. Stromae came to wide public attention in 2009 with his song “Alors on danse” (from the album Cheese), which became a number one in several European countries. In 2013, his second album Racine carrée was a commercial success, selling 2 million copies in France.[2] The main singles from the album include “Papaoutai” and “Formidable“.

Early life

Paul Van Haver was born in Brussels and raised in the city’s Laken district, to a Rwandan Tutsi father, Pierre Rutare, and a Flemish mother, Miranda Van Haver.[3][4] He also revealed in an interview that he has Somali heritage from his father’s side.[5] He and his siblings were raised by their mother, as his father, an architect, was killed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, while visiting his family.[3][6] He attended the Sacré-coeur de Jette, a Jesuit school in Jette, the Collège Saint-Paul in Godinne, after failing in the public school system at the age of sixteen.[6] He formed a small rap group with his friends while still in school. His early influences included Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel, Cuban son, and Congolese rumba.[7]

Career

2000–2007: Early career

In 2000, he appeared as a rapper called Opmaestro, though he later changed his stage name to “Stromae”, which is “Maestro” with the syllables reversed following the French slang practice, verlan.[6]

At the age of 18, he founded a rap group called “Suspicion”, along with rapper “J.E.D.I.” in Eichhof. They produced the song and music video “Faut que t’arrête le Rap…” before J.E.D.I. decided to leave the rap duo. To finance his private school education, Van Haver worked part-time in the hospitality industry, but his academic performance wasn’t up to standard.[citation needed] It was only later, when he registered at the Institut national de radioélectricité et cinématographie, that he released his first EP “Juste un cerveau, un flow, un fond et un mic…”.[citation needed]

2007–2008: Debut EP and record career

In 2007, during his studies at the film school of Brussels, Stromae decided to concentrate fully on his musical career. This resulted in his debut-EP “Juste un cerveau, un flow, un fond et un mic…”. In 2008 he signed a 4-year record deal with “Because Music” and ‘Kilomaître’.[citation needed]

2008–2012: Breakthrough and international success

In 2008, Stromae worked as a young trainee at the music radio station NRJ in Brussels. Vincent Verbelen, Music Manager, was impressed by the talent he perceived in Stromae’s first single “Alors on danse” and decided to air it for the first time on NRJ. The response from listeners (including influential personalities ranging from Anna Wintour and Jean-Claude Van Damme, to the then-president of France Nicolas Sarkozy)[citation needed] was one of extreme enthusiasm and Stromae came to wider public attention. In a few weeks from that point, sales of the song established it as number one in Belgium.[citation needed]

Vertigo Records, a label of Mercury Records France (Universal Music Group), signed him for a worldwide licensing deal soon after this.[citation needed]

By May 2010 the track “Alors on danse” had reached number one in Belgium, France, Sweden, Greece, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Romania, and the Czech Republic.[citation needed]

On 2 September, Stromae collaborated with Kanye West and Gilbere Forte in a remix of his hit “Alors on danse”.[8] In 2010, he was nominated for Best Dutch and Belgian Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards.[citation needed]

Of his music and influences, he has said: “I was in a little group doing rap music. I thought that rather than copying the French sound, I’d focus on a more American style but give it a European spin. And then I rediscovered the 90s Eurodance. For a long time we were ashamed of that sound but in fact, there’s a lot to discover. It has its roots in everything from house to salsa. I also really admire Jacques Brel – he has been a huge influence on me – but also all sorts of other stuff, Cuban son, and the Congolese rumba, that I heard as a child; that music rocked the whole of Africa.” Also, Stromae insists he wanted to collaborate with up and coming rap group Swag+5 featuring rapper T-Jay. In the end, the collaboration did not take place, but Stromae is a big fan of the America-based group.[9] The critic Molloy Woodcraft: “He combines 90s electro synths and beats with a laidback delivery to the mesmeric effect”.[citation needed]

He is one of the ten winners of the European Border Breakers Award 2011. On 9 February 2011, his debut album Cheese (including the hit single “Alors on danse”) won the award for Best Dance Album at the Victoires de la musique.[citation needed]

On 23 May 2011, during the recording of the French TV show Taratata, Stromae did a mashup of “Alors on danse” and “Don’t Stop the Party” with the Black Eyed Peas. Stromae also announced he would perform as the opening support act for the first of two concerts by the band in Paris on 24 and 25 June 2011 at Stade De France.[10] Stromae had previously met will.i.am at the NRJ Music Awards in January. will.i.am told him that he liked “Alors on danse” and said he wanted to collaborate with Stromae.[citation needed]

In 2011, he received one nomination for Best Belgian Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards.[11]

2013–2017: Racine carrée

The first single “Papaoutai” from his second album Racine carrée (Square root) was digitally released on 13 May 2013. It went on to chart number 1 in Belgium and France, number 2 in the Netherlands, as well as number 7 in Germany and Switzerland.[citation needed]

On 22 May 2013, amateur-looking videos appeared on YouTube showing Stromae, apparently drunk and wandering at the Louiza tram station in Brussels at dawn.[12] The videos went viral. A few days later, it was revealed that this was linked with the filming of a professional music video. This was confirmed during an appearance by Stromae on the French TV show Ce soir ou jamais in which he discussed and also performed his new single “Formidable“, which is about the story of a drunk man just separated from his girlfriend. The music video was made from edited hidden-camera footage taken on 22 May. It also shows people taking pictures with their cellphones, people who are clearly irritated by his drunk actions, people helping him stand up, and three policemen asking if the artist was okay or if he needed some help.[13][14] The policemen also got some critiques for not disciplining the drunk Stromae; however, they later claimed that the full story hadn’t been shown. The part where they returned and Stromae had to explain his case was not broadcast.[15]

On 26 July 2013, Stromae announced on his Facebook[16] and Twitter[17] accounts that he had completed his second studio album Racine carrée or √ and that it would be released on 16 August 2013. On 25 August 2013, Stromae joined Major Lazer‘s show at French festival Rock en Seine, where he performed “Papaoutai”. In September 2013, Belgian rock band Mintzkov covered his song “Formidable” for a live session on Studio Brussel, with lyrics in English. In November 2013, Stromae received the award for Best Belgian Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards.[18][19]

On 22 February 2014, he performed his song “Formidable” as a guest at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy.[20]

On 17 March 2014, it was made public that Stromae’s song “Ta fête” would become the official song for the Belgian national football team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[21]

In June 2014, in support of Racine carrée, Stromae made his US television debut on NBC‘s Late Night with Seth Meyers.[22] He then embarked on a tour across the United States and performed at the Best Buy Theater in New York City.[23][24] While in New York, on 22 June 2014, Stromae guest starred in a Snapchat story with Jérôme Jarre as The Carrot’s Father.[25]

On 21 October 2014, it was revealed that New Zealand singer Lorde invited Stromae to work on the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 along with artists like Kanye West, Grace Jones, Diplo and The Chemical Brothers.[30] He contributed to the song “Meltdown” which also features Pusha T, Q-Tip, Haim and Lorde herself.[31] The singer had declared herself a fan of Stromae after attending his concert earlier that month.[32] In March 2015, Stromae released a music video for the song “Carmen“, which was directed by Sylvain Chomet. The video warns people against the addictive qualities of social media apps such as Twitter.[33]

Stromae continued touring the United States, performing in March 2015 in several places including the SXSW in Austin, Texas.[34] He was also among the line-up of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.[35][36] He then began a tour in Africa on 13 May. However, in mid-June Stromae was forced to cancel the remaining of his shows until 2 August for health reasons.[37] He performed at Madison Square Garden in October, becoming the first exclusively French-singing performer to sell out that venue.[38][39]

On 14 September 2015, Stromae released a single “Quand c’est?”, a song about cancer, which plays on the fact that “Quand c’est?” (When is it?) and “cancer” are phonetically similar in French.[40]

2018–present: New work and Multitude

On 6 April 2018, Stromae released his first single in more than three years, “Défiler”, to accompany the release of “Capsule 5” a new fashion line.[41][42][43] The song was co-composed with his brother, Luc Junior Tam.[44] The song’s lyrics play on the meanings in the French language of the words “défiler” (“to parade/pass by,” often used to refer to models walking down a runway), “fil” (thread, line) and “filer” (to whiz by), evoking themes of modeling and superficiality; of life speeding by; and of toeing the line or hanging by a thread.[45]

In 2019, he co-produced and provided vocals, in French, for the song “Arabesque” of the band Coldplay, for their album Everyday Life.[46]

On 10 November 2020, during his first Live Instagram on the occasion of Mosaert’s 10th anniversary, he mentioned working on new music. Finally, on 15 October 2021 his first single in 3 years, named “Santé“, was released. When asked during a 2022 interview whether Santé is about workers during the COVID-19 pandemic he said, “No, not exactly.” Stromae explained that he wrote the song about Rosa, the woman who cleans his house, and that the song is about celebrating people who “are just working while we are partying”.[47] It is also now identified by a dance Stromae made up specifically for the song, which can be seen in the music video.[48] On 8 December 2021, he announced that his third studio album “Multitude” would be released on 4 March 2022.[49]

On 9 January 2022, he unveiled a second single from the album, “L’enfer“, by performing it live during the 8 pm TV news on TF1.[50]

Collaborations

In 2009, Stromae collaborated with Kery James on the song “Ghetto”, also featuring J-mi Sissoko. The song was the subject of his “Lesson Number 14” series on YouTube.[51]

In 2010, Stromae’s song “Alors on danse” was remixed by Kanye West. West and Stromae also performed the remix live at Coachella in 2015.[52]

Stromae collaborated with Lorde, Haim, Pusha T, and Q-Tip for the song “Meltdown“, which uses the instrumental of his song “Merci”, a track originally recorded for his 2014 album Racine carrée. The track was featured on the soundtrack for the film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.[53]

Stromae collaborated with director Henry Scholfield to produce the music video for English artist Dua Lipa’s single “IDGAF“. The video was released on 12 January 2018.[54]

Stromae provided vocals for Coldplay‘s 2019 single “Arabesque” on their eighth studio album Everyday Life.[55]

Stromae also collaborated with French rapper Orelsan on a song called “La pluie“.[56]

Stromae collaborated with Camila Cabello in the music video for “Mon Amour” where she contributed vocals in English and French for the video version in 2022.[57]

Other ventures

Stromae as a Maestro

The name “Stromae” comes from switching the syllables in the word “maestro”.[58] This inversion is a result of French slang[59] known as verlan.[60]

Van Haver has produced a number of videos described as leçons, or lessons, released on YouTube.

Leçon 21 is entitled Silence,[61] leçon 24 is entitled les leçons c’est “tous les mêmes,” and is delivered by Stromae on a gondola in Venice.[62] Leçon 28 is entitled “ta fête” (hymne red devils),[63] and features the National football team of Belgium.[64]

Fashion

Stromae is known for his distinctive physique and clothing style. He has used this image in launching a limited fashion line, Mosaert (an anagram of his stage name). The collection features bright colors and geometric patterns, and has been described as “hipster” and “retro kitsch”. Stromae has said that he wanted to “create a bridge between British style and African aesthetic”.[65]

The first collection was a success, with stocks almost sold out after three days.[66] The second collection, Capsule No. 2, was released at Colette in Paris on 3 December 2014, and features the square root design on each item in different colors.[67][68] Capsule No. 3 was released on 7 April 2016, a music track was released on 31 March 2017 to promote the line.[69] The new designs are the first to use patterns not previously worn by Stromae, reflecting Mosaert’s intention to gradually move into a separate stylistic identity for the clothing line.[70][71]

On 6 April 2018, Mosaert presented a fashion show at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche in Paris to mark the release of its latest collection, “Capsule n°5”, which was accompanied by the release of Stromae’s first new single in more than five years, “Défiler”.[42]

Personal life

In 2015 he had to cancel a tour through Africa because of anxiety caused by the malaria medicine Lariam (Mefloquine). Since then Stromae had avoided public appearances. In an interview in 2017, he stated that he still suffers from panic attacks and initially left open whether he would ever be able to make music professionally again.[72] Since 2018 he has been showing himself in public again.[73]

On 12 December 2015, Van Haver was secretly married to Coralie Barbier by well-known Catholic priest Guy Gilbert, in a private ceremony held in Mechelen.[74] His first son was born on 23 September 2018.[75]

Musical style

Stromae’s music is heavily influenced by electronic music, especially Belgian New Beat music.[76] He has been touted as the “face of the New Beat generation”.[77] He also considers Congolese music to be a huge influence.[citation needed]

Stromae has been compared to Jacques Brel, who in turn significantly influenced Stromae, with Stromae even covering several of his songs.[78]

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Stromae

Discography

Main articles: Stromae discography and list of songs recorded

Studio albums

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stromae

Black History 365: Double Dutch

December 5, 2022

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/04/1140504217/double-dutch-fantastic-four-holiday-classic

How the Fantastic Four took Double Dutch to new heights

December 4, 20222:01 PM ET

Heard on All Things Considered

Allyson McCabe

Dutch settlers may have brought Double Dutch to America, but it was Black girls who put it on the map, says Lauren Walker, president of the National Double Dutch League. “Double Dutch is Black girl magic. It came from a union of young girls in their community getting together to socialize, and to engage in each other’s dreams and ambitions.”

They also put their own spins on popular rhyming songs, like “Miss Mary Mack,” and brought them into the ropes, says ethnomusicologist Kyra D. Gaunt. “You learned from your elder siblings, you learned from your same-age peer age group, in schools, hanging out on the stoop, on the sidewalk.”

Then in 1973 two New York City policemen, Ulysses Williams and Lauren Walker’s father David A. Walker, established Double Dutch as a team sport and got it into schools. When the first tournament was held a year later, nearly 600 kids participated. Many more were inspired.

Adrienne “Nikki” Adams Howell, Delores Brown Finlayson, De’Shone Adams Goodson, and Robin Oakes Watterson met as junior high schoolers on the Lower East Side in 1978. Howell says they meshed immediately. “Everyone had their own creative ideas and everyone had their own different strengths, you know, everything came together for us.”

Calling themselves “The Added Touch,” the team placed second in the singles division and third in doubles at the 1978 World Wide Double Dutch championship. Then they took it higher, says Watterson. “I would like to say we reinvented ourselves. It’s like ‘We’re the Fantastic Four!’ We changed our name, changed our attitude. And we brought it.”

In 1980 the Fantastic Four became the Double Dutch World Champions, leading to appearances in McDonald’s commercials, a spotlight in the Emmy-award-winning 1981 documentary Pick Up Your Feet, and invitations to demonstrate Double Dutch at schools across the country. Goodson remembers being rushed by young fans back home in New York and realizing that her team was representing more than just the sport. “I remember them knocking us down to the ground actually, you know, with hugs and they showed so much love.”

As the team’s star rose, so did the profile of Double Dutch. In 1981, Frankie Smith released the hit song “Double Dutch Bus.” In 1982, the Fantastic Four were tapped to perform at The Roxy alongside DJs, MCs, graffiti artists, and B-boys- leading to the team’s participation in the New York City Rap Tour, which introduced hip-hop to audiences in Europe.

A photograph of the Fantastic Four taken on the tour by Janette Beckman has circulated widely, for example appearing on a book cover and in an exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. However, the Fantastic Four were identified on the tour bill as “the Double Dutch girls” and the photo has often been interpreted merely as an expression of friendship.

These erasures were consequential, says Gaunt, adding that today many people don’t know that Double Dutch was an integral part of hip-hop culture and history. “What’s missing and the reason why people don’t know it is that that narrative is not perpetuated by most of the men who tell the story of hip-hop.” (A notable exception is KRS-One).

And yet the ties between hip-hop and Double Dutch were never completely severed. For example, you can spot them in Nelly’s 2000 debut single “Country Grammar,” which borrows from the hand-clapping game “Down Down Baby,” a 2011 ad for Jay-Z’s Rocawear, and songs by Missy Elliott, including 2002’s “Gossip Folks,” which samples Frankie Smith’s “Double Dutch Bus,” and 2019’s “Throw it Back,” whose music video features a scene where Elliot’s braids double as jump ropes.

In early 2023, the Cartoon Network animated series Craig of the Creek will air a Double Dutch-themed episode co-written by Ashleigh Hairston. “My dad is a pastor in Seattle, Washington, and I grew up playing Double Dutch in the parking lot with my friends and we would just go for hours and hours,” she says. “And I was really excited to bring those experiences into the episode.”

When Craig’s friend is accused of slacking by her hyper-competitive Double Dutch teammates, he challenges them to a “jump off” even though he has no idea how to jump. Unbeknownst to Craig, his mother was once a Double Double champion- until she was bested by a rival, Carla Frazier, who is voiced by Missy Elliott.

Revisiting that memory empowers Craig’s mom to reframe it, and inspire the kids to jump for joy. As for the real-life champions, the Fantastic Four went on to college, families, and careers, and stayed involved as coaches and officiators. They were on hand this year to serve as judges for the 31st David A. Walker Memorial Double Dutch Holiday Classic at the Apollo Theater, paying forward what Double Dutch gave them. “Structure, discipline, working with others,” says Delores Brown Finlayson. Then Nikki Howell jumps in, “These are my sisters for life.”