[KS] Jazz in Korea

[John Eperjesi]

Thanks for all of your responses.  I guess All That Jazz was open to
foreigners only at first, so the first Korean jazz club was Janus in
Sincheon which opened in 1978.

On Fri, Nov 18, 2011 at 10:28 PM, Frank Hoffmann <hoffmann at koreaweb.ws> wrote:
> Josephine Baker performed in Nampo in (I believe) 1938 on her way from Japan
> to Manchuria where she performed in several other cities. The Dong-ah Ilbo
> published an article on her visit and included a picture of the performance.
>
> Steven, are you sure? And not possibly mixing up Ch'oe Sûng-hûi with Baker
> -- e.g. because some author is comparing the two and their roles? When it
> comes to *politics*, however, it is a bad comparison, as Baker had been very
> engaged for the French resistance (and not just that), went even as far as
> to work as a spy for them, had always been very outspoken, while Ch'oe
> Sûng-hûi (Jap. name Sai Shôki) worked closely with the Imperial Japanese
> Army and their war propaganda unit. After the Sino-Japanese War Ch'oe did
> indeed tour through the Manchukuo puppet state set up by the Japanese in
> 1932/33. After liberation this cooperation worked against her in the South,
> and so she left for the North to start over (like many other 'collaborator
> artists'). If you look at who was most "efficient" within the war propaganda
> art, who hold the leading positions, it was mostly modernist artists (or
> dancers, in this case) ... the overseas elite who had returned from Paris,
> Berlin, etc. in the late 1930s or in 1940.
> Anyway, you are saying that JOSEPHINE BAKER visited not just Japan in 1938
> (!) but also Manchukuo (and Korea). I hear you, but it much surprises me!
> Can you please refer to the date this was in the Tonga ilbo, or to some
> article or book that makes such a reference and statement? Baker, upon her
> arrival in Japan in 1954 told Japanese reporters: "This is my first visit to
> Japan. Nothing could make me happier." (Asahi shinbun, 4/14/1954)
>
> Best,
> Frank
>
>
>
> --
>
> --------------------------------------
> Frank Hoffmann
> http://koreaweb.ws