![]() In 1953, Kitt recorded “ Santa Baby,” a song that catapulted her into stardom. I was intrigued by the image, and the window into 1960s Toronto that it opened.īorn Eartha Mae Keith in South Carolina in 1927, Kitt in her twenties danced with the Katherine Dunham Company, founded by Katherine Dunham (1909-2006), one of the originators of modern Afro-Caribbean dance. It shows an image of Kitt jumping rope with a child, dated May 1, 1966, and photographed by the Toronto Star’s Barry Philp the image is held by the Toronto Public Library (TPL).Īs someone who has spent over a decade working in Black archives, I was shocked that I’d never seen this photo before. ![]() However, I never saw Eartha Kitt perform, although she came to Toronto frequently during the 1970s and 1980s, singing at venues like the Royal York’s Imperial Room, O’Keefe Centre, and the Forum.Ī tweet this past January, by Black Women Radicals, an advocacy organization, offered a reminder of her presence here. ![]() For instance, I remember seeing acts like Gladys Knight, Kool and the Gang, Lou Rawls and so many others at the Ontario Place Forum. There were so many live music venues, especially for Black music, when I was growing up. In 2020, at least 22 music venues, including clubs and music-friendly bars and restaurants, shut their doors in the City of Toronto.Īs a nightlife person, I was saddened by the closures. If there is one thing I have missed more than anything else during the pandemic, it is nightlife. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |