What is a Petite Tonkinoise?

A cat, Tonkinoise is a cat

It's a particularly noxious plant.

a little North Vietnamese girl

[quote]"La Petite Tonkinoise", first sung in 1906 and performed by [Josephine] Baker in 1930, is a piece of the silliest colonialist sentimentality that recounts the delight and pride of a young Indochinese girl whose French lover has elevated her to legitimate companionship.

Why would Baker who lived in Paris to escape racism subscribe to colonialist claptrap.

Loosely and broadly translated in French "tonkinoise" means something or person Asian related. Chinese, Vietnamese, etc....

English translation:

The little Tonkin girl It's me who is his little, His Anana, his Anana her Annamite I am a vivid, I am charming Like a little singing bird. He calls me his littl' bourgeoise, Hi Tonkiki, his Tonkiki, his Tonkin girl. Others look at him with tender eyes, But that's me he loves better.

In the evening we talk about a million things Before going to bed. I learn geography of China, of Mandchouria, Borders, rivers, The Yellow river and the Blue river. Even Love is, that is a a curious thing, watered by the Middle Kingdom.

It's me who is his little, His Anana, his Anana her Annamite I am a vivid, I am charming Like a little singing bird. He calls me his littl' bourgeoise, Hi Tonkiki, his Tonkiki, his Tonkin girl. Others look at him with tender eyes, But that's me he loves better.

R7 yes, that clears it up a bit.

Thanks to all - I thought I just didn't understand it because it was in French but clearly there was more subtext to the whole song and concept.

Josephine Baker is fascinating.

R8

More to the point Tonkin in North Vietnam was a French protectorate until Japan invaded during WWII. There are plenty of Vietnamese in France now and going back early 1900's who speak fluent French having arrived in that country upon emigrating from Vietnam.

In NYC have run into many "French" Vietnamese who either came from France or Vietnam .

Then and now certain Frenchmen have a thing for Asians; Bernard Boursicot is a more famous recent example.

Sounds like something that pops out of cockgobbler after a couple hours of fun. 🤜 🤜 🌺

R12 I thought the only thing that pops out of him is raw anonymous loads.

R5

In a word, money.

J. Baker like everyone else at that time turned out what would (hopefully) sell.

Some British and French people definitely have a colonialist fetish about black men or women.

In different ways than Americans, but not without its own messy history..........

Haven't you ever seen "South Pacific?"

An Asian girl so small, she fits in a syringe 💉!

R14 I guess I knew that it was money. A girl's gotta eat. But I wondered if she's known to have had views public or private on selling racist colonial nonsense. Or packaging her black exoticism for the French.

That packing of "black exoticism" or eroticism if you will made JB famous and wealthy. Don't believe she had much if any qualms about doing so.

At the time to be sure there were plenty of high toned "new Negroes" who subscribed to Booker T. Washington sort of theories about uplifting themselves into the professional classes, others like JB had different plans.

Take away one or both and Josephine Baker would have just been any random AA female performer in USA or Europe, and she above anyone else knew it.

Josephine's American-accented French makes her rendition sound all the more endearing.

The song became a standard in America after Anna Held wrote English lyrics to the melody and introduced it in New York in 1907 as, "It's Delightful to be Married."

What was her signature song? You know - the tune always played when she was introduced. What?

I think her signature was "J'ai deux amours" (I Have Two Loves), meaning the USA and Paris.

Many French have a thing for way Americans speak their language, well up to a point anyway. They find it charming, amusing and yes rather endearing.

OTOH if they butcher things too badly often a Frenchman or Frenchwoman will simply roll their eyes and either respond in English or just pretend they don't understand a single word.

Lazy twat at R20.

And, no, not really, R21, not completely. She used three, one of which is at the link, if R21 knows how to use a computer.

R18

JB sang a host of songs that would make many African Americans today both performers or otherwise cringe. But mind you it is all in the delivery and or how things are done I suppose.

Would say Josephine Baker's signature song would be J'ai Deux Amours....

Yes, R22 and R26 - that's it! I could "hear" the music in my head but not the words. Thank you both. - R21

Back story.....

Like many French themselves and people from around the world Paris has a magical attraction. The song "J'ai doux amours" is of course about having two loves; Paris and native country of performer (original number came from a 1930's musical where performer was speaking of two loves being Paris and North Africa, IIRC). But JB picked it up and made it her own

OTOH you have singers like Harry Belafonte doing Jump In The Line (aka Shake Senora) that celebrate his Caribbean roots, and no one thinks twice. But that song is far less offensive then "Please Don't Touch my Tomatoes..." IMHO.

What careers did her 12 children pursue?

Perhaps most famous was Jean-Claude Baker who opened a restaurant here in NYC named after his mother; Chez Josephine.

Sadly M. Baker took his own life several years ago.

more

yet more...

Oh yeah baby! Let me eat that petite tonkinoise. I love when you make it squirt for me.

[Quote] Sadly M. Baker took his own life several years ago.

This is sad. I met him a couple of times at Chez Josephine. Urbane and cultivated.