THE FIRST BLACK STAR: "CHOCOLAT," DANCER AND CLOWN, 1890's
"Rafael," born into slavery in Cuba (slaves do not have last names), became famous in Paris as a clown.
Real footage
Popularity
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| Trailer (in French) / zoom |
social context.
Chocolat dansant dans un bar by Toulouse-Lautrec, 1896
He introduces hip-hop, whose jerky movements come from dances of Caribbean slaves.
The show portrayed the white clown beating up the black one (see the clips above), a reflection of colonialism. When intellectuals became conscious of racism with the Dreyfus case, they stopped backing such production. At the same time theater replaced circus as popular entertainment.
Rafael died destitute and forgotten.
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The Négritude movement of the 1930's (please click) announces a change of mood:
Wilfredo Lam, Cuban who was close to the Surrealists in Paris
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In 2017, Cameroon's Barthelémy Togué was chosen to do the decor for the Chateau Rouge métro, which we will come to.
Entrée to Black Paris makes a full report.
The National Library exhibited his works in 2024.
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In 2025, the Pompidou center exhibited creation by Blacks of all origins working in Paris, from the 1950's to 2000.
The museum closes for five years of renovation
with those fireworks.
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