Thursday, July 29, 2010

Remembering Chester Himes

Chester Himes was born on this day 101 years ago.

Himes was one of a number of African-American expats who settled in Paris after WWII. He later wrote a fascinating account about his life there in his autobiographies The Quality of Hurt and My Life of Absurdity.

Himes had already established himself as a writer in the United States with critically acclaimed novels such as If He Hollers Let Him Go and Cast the First Stone before he moved to Paris. Though he continued to write "serious" novels in Paris, he eventually turned his creativity toward a series of detective novels commissioned by the French publishing house Gallimard. These works, which featured detective characters “Coffin” Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, propelled him to success in the French literary market. All were translated into French, and were more successful in France than in the U.S. They would become Himes’ literary legacy.

Himes finished the first novel for Gallimard’s La Série Noire in 1957. He called it The Five-Cornered Square in English, and Gallimard christened the French version La Reine des Pommes. Himes wrote it while living at the Hôtel Rachou at 9, rue Git-le-Coeur in the 6th arrondissement. He was the first celebrity writer to inhabit the hotel, which would become renowned as the beatnik hotel, or Beat Hotel.

Hôtel Rachou
Photo by Harold Chapman


Hôtel Vieux Paris (formerly the Beat Hotel)
© Discover Paris!

In the same year, Himes would write A Jealous Man Can’t Win (renamed The Crazy Kill) at the Café Select. He claimed not to like the waiters or the clientele there, but he used the café as his workplace nonetheless.

 Café Le Select
© Discover Paris!


La Reine des Pommes won the Grand Prix du Roman Policier (Grand Prize for the Detective Novel) in 1958, and catapulted Himes to celebrity status in France. The Five-Cornered Square was renamed For Love of Imabelle, and later, A Rage in Harlem.


Already celebrated for his detective series, Himes’ popularity was considerably boosted as a result of two major press events organized in Paris. The first, in 1964, culminated in a feature article about him in Condé Nast’s Adam Magazine. The second, in 1970, was a five-day publicity event arranged by Gallimard to promote Himes’ novel Cotton Comes to Harlem, which had been released as a movie in that year by Samuel Goldwyn, Jr.  Gallimard summoned Himes from his home in the Alicante province of Spain for the second event, booking him and his wife Lesley into the Hôtel Pont-Royal on rue Montalembert. Le Monde ran a two-page spread on him, and Life Magazine ran a two-page spread on the movie, as well as a feature article on Himes.

Editions Gallimard
5, rue Sébastian Bottin, Paris 7e
© Discover Paris!


 Hôtel Pont-Royal (Hôtel Littéraire)
7, rue Montalembert, Paris 7e
© Discover Paris!

Himes lived in Paris off and on during the years that he resided in Europe, spending time in the south of France, Germany, Denmark, England, and Spain. He died in Moraira, Spain (near the city of Alicante) in 1984, and is buried nearby at a cemetery in Benissa.

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Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Spirit of Africa at Parc de la Villette

Paris' Parc de la Villette is celebrating culture in a big way this summer.  Since July 10th, this complex of lawns, gardens, concert halls, exhibit spaces, museums, and theaters has welcomed visitors to Scènes d'Eté (Scenes of Summer)—an astounding series of concerts, workshops, expositions, and films that provide something for everyone to enjoy.  A large number of the activities will evoke the food, folklore, and music of Africa.

 La Grande Halle
© Discover Paris!

Today, my husband Tom and I had the great pleasure to see the Drum Masters of Burundi perform on the lawn to the right of the Grande Halle.  I cannot remember the last time that I have seen performers give so much of themselves as these men did today.  The rhythms...the chants...the movements...all were spellbinding!  After about a half-hour of performing on the lawn, they "took the show on the road," walking around the park leading a parade of visitors.





  Maîtres Tambours de Burundi
© Discover Paris!

We had hoped to attend a cooking demonstration of African cuisine today, but did not realize that we needed to reserve.  Nor did we realize that the event costs 12 euros per person.  When we arrived at the park, we were told that the class was full!  On the menu were:

Plantains drizzled with bissap tea
Fish Saka-Saka (fish with crushed manioc leaves)
Mango with citrus coulis
Ginger juice

Celebrity actress Fatou N'Diaye was supposed to be at the event, but we'll never know if she appeared this week.

The demonstration will be held again next Sunday, so hopefully we will be able to attend then.

Music All et les Illuminés "Black Stamp" gave a free concert of jazz, soul, funk, R and B, and hip hop at the Prairie du Cercle Sud stage late this afternoon.

The Cabaret Sauvage theater held events devoted to Malian culture the entire weekend.  There was an African marketplace in the area between the theater and the canal.  On Friday, there were two art workshops for children and an Afro Hip Hop concert.  On Saturday, there were cooking demonstrations, Malian storytelling, and a Malian fusion concert.  This evening, there will be a dance workshop and an African ball that will last until dawn.

Cabaret Sauvage
© Discover Paris!

 Jewelry for Sale at the African Marketplace
© Discover Paris!

Children's Art Workshop
© Discover Paris!

Most of the events that are scheduled for the summer are free, including several concerts.  Next Sunday, in addition to the cooking demonstration, there will be free music by Naby (Senegal) and Mounira Mitchala (Chad).

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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Mona Lisa in Black

Leonardo's Mona Lisa is probably the world's most famous painting. It hangs in the Louvre, and draws countless thousands of visitors to the museum every day.  Numerous artists have been inspired by this work, and have created their own art using Mona Lisa's image.

Ealy Mays is one of these artists.  He has teamed up with the Paris bookstore Mona Lisait (which means "Mona read " [past tense]) for an exposition of several of his Mona Lisa-inspired works.  These works are part of a series of paintings that he has christened "Mama."

Caribbean Mama (Is There Life on Mars?)
2010, Oil on canvas
© Discover Paris!

Mona Lisa Likes Pancakes
2010, Oil on canvas
© Discover Paris!

Yellow Mama Lisa
2010, Oil on canvas
© Discover Paris!

Mays is a Texas native and long-time Paris resident. He is a prolific painter, and has produced at least ten works that in some way make reference to Mona Lisa.  Many works from his "Mama" series also feature Aunt Jemima, either alongside Mona Lisa or alone.  Mays does not hesitate to include elements from previous series of his in current paintings - an example is the blue watermelon from his "Blue Watermelon" series in Yellow Mama Lisa.

Social commentary through art is a prominent feature of Mays' oeuvre.  His painting Obama in Paris is a prime example of this:

 Obama in Paris
2008, Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Ealy Mays

Obama is seen in the lower register of the painting, looking upward.  The kiosk bears colorful images of Paul Colin's famous portrayal of Josephine Baker in her banana skirt, the Banania man, Aunt Jemima, a self-portrait of Beauford Delaney, a photograph of Alexandre Dumas, père, and other persons or objects relevant to black history and culture.

For a close-up view of this painting, click here. (Prints are available from Dorothy's Gallery.)

Mays has a studio on rue Christine in the 6th arrondissement, and paints at the Cité International des Arts on rue de l'Hôtel de Ville in the 4th arrondissement every summer. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Guggenheim are among the world-renowned museums that have displayed his works.

 Ealy Mays
© Discover Paris!

Joe Langley filmed the vernissage (the opening of the exposition) on June 15, 2010.   Click here to see the video.

To see the current exposition at Mona Lisait, visit the store at:
6, rue Danton
75005 Paris
Tel: 01 43 29 57 72 
Metro: Odéon - Saint Michel

The expo will hang until August 31, 2010.

To see an online gallery of Mays' work, visit his blog at http://ealymays.blogspot.com/ or his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/ealymays

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Saturday, July 17, 2010

Bolt Victorious


Jamaica's Usain Bolt won the 100 meters at the Meeting AREVA last night with a time of 9.84 seconds. His countrymen Asafa Powell and Yohan Blake placed second and third, at 9.91 seconds and 9.95 seconds, respectively.

Bolt's footprints are to be installed on StadeFrance Boulevard at the Stade de France, where the meet was held, near those of French soccer star Zinédine Zidane. Inspired by Hollywood's Walk of Fame, StadeFrance Boulevard  was inaugurated in November 2008 in celebration of the Stade de France's tenth anniversary.

Photo by AFP

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Friday, July 16, 2010

Paris Parties Jamaican Style!

Yesterday, Paris celebrated speed, style, and song - Jamaica style!

Ad for the Jamaica Party in the Paris Metro
© Discover Paris!
 
Sprinter Usain Bolt, holder of the world's fastest times in the 100 m and 200 m dash, was the star of the day.  An event held at the place de l'Hôtel de Ville encouraged young and old to try their luck at outrunning a motorized, mounted cut-out of Bolt, and to clock their best time at the 100 meter dash.  These activities were a delight for lots of budding child athletes.


"Who Faster?"
Photo by Discover Paris!


Even the loss of a shoe did not dissuade this youngster from trying to catch up with the lightning-fast Bolt surrogate!


One-shoed runner
Photo by Discover Paris!

Participants received a set of inflatable "Bolt Arms," designed to mimic the pose that Bolt strikes during track and field events.


"Bolt Arms"
Photos by Discover Paris

Bolt held a press conference at the sportswear store Courir on the Champs Elysées at 3:00 PM, before joining friends and fans at the Hôtel de Ville to introduce the free concert held there in the late afternoon and evening.  Reggae greats such as Winston McAnuff and Alpha Bondy performed on a huge stage against the backdrop of the silhouette of a puma, symbol of the sponsor of the affair. 



Winston McAnuff and his band
Photos by Discover Paris!

Tonight, Bolt will run the 100 meters against Asafa Powell, compatriot and the man from whom he took the record in 2008.  Bolt, Powell, and several other contenders in this race have run the 100 meters in less than ten seconds, so it will be a closely observed contest. The competition is part of the Meeting AREVA, a track meet to be held at the Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis.  It is scheduled for 9:46 PM.

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  Entrée to Black Paris is a Discover Paris! blog.