Search - Josephine Baker :: En La Habana

Her last album, and maybe her best

T. H VonZabern | Boston, MA, USA | 05/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"By the time Josephine Baker performed in Fidel Castro's Cuba in 1966, she was both a seasoned artist and a financially desperate woman. Battling foreclosure on her chateau, and eviction of herself and her 12 "rainbow tribe" children, she gratefully accepted Castro's invitation to perform in Cuba. In the 40 or so years since her early days in Paris, her voice had matured from something small and sometimes shrill, to an instrument of great expressive power and impeccable control. She easily took to Latin American adaptations of the songs she had made popular in France, and readily internalized the Cuban tunes "Esto es Felicidad" and "Quando, quando". Other than offering a most enjoyable Latin side of Josephine, this album is the only source I've found of some important material (i.e.: "Dans mon Village", sung in French) and is a must-have for anyone wishing to appreciate Mme. Baker in her later and best artistic years."