Black Swans

The late 1800s and early 1900s in America were dominated by Jim Crow segregation and racial violence. At the time, Black musicians with talent were often directed to jazz and blues, however, several Classical Black performers blossomed in this era, despite the odds.

A new Record Label

At the end of World War One, American soldiers returned home from Europe, including nearly 400,000 black veterans. From History.com, “Because of their military service, black veterans were seen as a particular threat to Jim Crow and racial subordination.” The resulting fear turned violent with indiscriminate riots against black citizens in more than 3 dozen cities across the United States, this period is known as the “Red Summer.” In spite of all this, a new Black own record label was founded in Harlem to sell popular music to black audiences. They took on the name “Black Swan” to honor one of America’s first great black opera singers, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, who was also known as “The Black Swan".

The label specialized in the recording of blues and jazz from legends like Ethel Waters, but the label also created a space for black classical musicians to record their art. The Black Swan record label only survived a few years and went bankrupt in 1923, its collection of recordings was bought up by Paramount. Many of these recordings were thought to be lost to history, but a new album has recently been released with over 2 dozen recordings from classical musicians of this period.

Learn more about the history of “Black Swan Record label”

Learn about the new album “Black Swans” from Howard Historian Saïs Kamalidiin and then listen to the album on spotify or applemusic.

Standing on the shoulders of giants

While it would be impossible to name all the great artists of the past, we would still like to bring attention to a few of the black classical singers that fought for a place at the artistic table and in many ways changed the culture of the country as a whole. To learn about even more great artists, check out this list from Blackpast.org.

A Toast to the Legends!

We salute the great artists of the past with a drink in their honor. “The Legend” is a refreshing vodka based cocktail that is a little bit sweet and a little bit sharp. Watch John build it here.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz. Vodka, 1/4 oz. Blackberry Liqueur, 3/4 oz Lime Juice, 2 Dashes Orange Bitters, 1/4 oz Simple Syrup, Lime Wheel for Garnish Directions: Place all the ingredients into a shaker with ice, shake and strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a lime wheel. Enjoy!

A deeper dive:

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield (1817-1876)

One of America’s first great singers, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was born a slave in Natchez, Mississippi in 1817. Early in life, she accompanied her mistress, Mrs. Greenfield, to Philadelphia and became a free citizen. Mrs. Greenfield encouraged Elizabeth’s musical development and she sang in public and private parties. She was affectionately dubbed “the Black Swan” by her enthusiastic followers. She would go on to travel to Europe and in 1854 sang a command performance for Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace. Read more about Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield.

Marie Selika Williams (1849-1937)

Marie Selika Williams was a coloratura soprano known as “Queen of Staccato”. She was born in 1849 in Natchez, Mississippi and in 1878 became the first black artist to perform at the White House for President Rutherford Hayes. After her White House performance, she went on two tours of Europe and sang for Queen Victoria in 1883. She was considered the leading black prima donna of her time, but prevalent racism prevented her from appearing on the operatic stage. Read more about Marie Selika Williams.

Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones (1869-1933)

Sissieretta Jones was nicknamed “the Black Patti” after her successful New York City debut in 1888. The nickname was in reference to the great Italian Opera singer of the time, Adelina Patti, but Sissieretta preferred to be called simple Madame Jones. In her 30 plus year career, Madame Jones would become the highest paid African-American performer of her time and would perform at the White House for Presidents Harrison, Cleveland, McKinley, and (Teddy) Roosevelt, as well as the British Royal family. She also toured extensively all over the world and founded the “Black Patti’s Troubadours.” Read more about Sissieretta Jones.

Paul Robeson (1898-1976)

Paul Robeson was an athlete, singer, actor, and human rights activist. His talents would be showcased on the silver screen with roles like Joe in Showboat and on broadway, taking on the title role of Shakespeare’s Othello. However, Paul Robeson’s biggest role would be in real life as an activist for world peace and civil rights. During the 40’s he would challenge President Truman to pass anti-lynching legislation as well as work to ease Cold War tension between the US and USSR. His activism would eventually get him blacklisted during the McCarthy era, despite this, he still spent the rest of his life striving for racial equality and world peace. Read more about Paul Robeson.

Todd Duncan (1903-1998)

Todd Duncan originated the role of Porgy in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and was the first African American to sing in a major American opera company, singing the role of Tonio in Il Pagliacci at New York City Opera. Over the course of his career her would sing other major roles, Escamillo in Carmen, the title role of Rigoletto, as well as sing in over 2000 recitals in 56 countries, sing over 1000 performances of Porgy, and received 8 honorary doctorates. Read more about Todd Duncan.

Robert Mcferrin (1921-2006)

Robert McFerrin became the first African American to win the Metropolitan Opera House’s auditions and would become the first African American male to perform at the Met in 1955. His career began in 1949, singing in Kurt Weill’s Lost in the Stars and in the title role of Rigoletto at Tanglewood. He toured Europe during the 1950s and became the first African American to sing at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Italy. Read more about Robert McFerrin.