Negrophilia

The word negrophilia is derived from the French négrophilie that means love of the negro. It was a term that avant-garde artists used amongst themselves to describe their passion for black culture. During 1920-1930s Paris, negrophilia was a craze when to collect African art, to listen to jazz, and to dance the Charleston, the Lindy Hop or the Black Bottom, were signs of being modern and fashionable. Sources of inspiration were inanimate African art objects (l'art nègre) that found their way into Paris as a result of colonial trade with Africa as well as live performances by African-Americans, many of whom were ex-soldiers remaining in European cities after the First World War, who turned to entertainment for a source of income. Perhaps the most popular revue and entertainer during this time was La Revue Nègre (1925) starring Josephine Baker.