Re: Fwd: A new klezmermusical in Berlin

[Kame'a Media <media...>]

Marvin wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bloom <bloom (at) gis(dot)net>
> To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2000 11:22 PM
> Subject: Re: Fwd: A new klezmermusical in Berlin
>
> <snip>
> > I hesitate to respond, since I'm not well-educated on this topic - but
> > since no one else responded, I'll throw in what I think I know, and let
> > someone else correct me if necessary.
> >
> > As I understand it, blacks were allowed to perform in vaudeville if they
> > portrayed stereotypical blacks, just as Jews were allowed to perform if
> > they portrayed stereotypical Jews.  If you were a "stage Jew", you might
> > use putty to make your nose look bigger.  If you were a "stage nigger",
> and
> > your skin wasn't dark enough to fit the stereotype, then you had to put
> > burnt cork on your face.  In either case, the act you performed had to
> > reinforce the image that the audience already had of your ethnic group.
> > Just a case of giving the audience what they wanted.
>
> Blacks have a name for this kind of performer - Uncle Tom.  I've never heard
> of a similar name for Jewish performers who took on the streeotypical role.
>
> A telling part of minstrel shows with white performers is that they made
> themselves up to look black.  White jazz musicians never did that.

With all due respect,
 "never" is just too absolute in this case, because
there were always exceptions:

When white (Jewish) jazzman Red Rodney toured the South with
the great Charlie Parker, it has been recorded that he did
indeed don black "make-up" when his presence in an otherwise
all-black ensemble would not be tolerated.

Boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Wolf




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