Old German foxtrot: Bimbambulla - Karkoff-Orchester, 1929

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• published: 23 Apr 2015
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Bimbambulla, Foxtrot (K.M.May - Ch.Amberg) – Karkoff-Orchester, Derby 1929 (Germany) NOTE: In last years of the Roaring Twenties, the “novelty-foxtrot” Bimbambulla composed by Hans May became one of the biggest hits of a day. It’s text - belonging to tradition of the comic “jungle-songs” - describes in a caricaturized way how the Congo boys express their love to the Congo girls (…by saying “hoola-hoola”…) and recalls pre-war European colonial resentments, when for most of the Europeans, “the Blacks” were still the “comical”, “jungle” figures. In later post-war years (after 1918) that old stereotype was, alas, brought back into Europe and enforced also by such international revue stars like Josephine Baker, who during her sensational tour in Germany and Austria in 1926 with the Revue Negre, presented by her in Nelson Theatre in Berlin, in Johann-Strauss Theatre in Wien and in many other prestigeous venues in both capital cities - personified that sort of Blacks’ caricature in her numerous comical numbers of stage buffoonery as well as her notorious “banana dance”. In general, those were days, when thanks to the triumphant march of American Black-jazz musicians across Europe and both Americas – who, during the 1920s almost entirely conquered music-halls and dance floors of the most of the world - the Blacks and their culture became top interest for the European elites. In Berlin, series of “Black” shows given in 1926 by American bandleader Sam Wooding and his Chocolate Kiddies became a sensation and were followed by his repeated visits to Berlin and to other European cities through all the 1920s. Also the first talkies with Al Jolson singing his Minstrel-hits, added to the growth of those cultural fascinations, which eventually saturated not only the minds of average consumers of pop-culture, but also the cream of the European artists. The prominent Weimar Republic cabaret singer Blandine Ebinger recalls in her memoirs, that obediently to those trends, even Friedrich Hollaender created his Jonny figure on basis of Sarotti-Moor - a small Black boy used to advertise chocolate and pralines. Foxtrot Bimbambulla was widely recorded by the Comedian Harmonists, the Two Jazzers, the Saxophon-Orchester Dobbri with Harry Steier, by Luigi Bernauer and by Walter Jurmann, among others. Unfortunately, in the presented recording the true name of the band remains anonymous, hidden under the nick “Karkoff-Orchester” (which was Derby Records label name for various German dance bands of the Goldene Zwanziger Jahre).

Old German foxtrot: Bimbambulla - Karkoff-Orchester, 1929

• Report rights infringement
• published: 23 Apr 2015
• views: 3260

Bimbambulla, Foxtrot (K.M.May - Ch.Amberg) – Karkoff-Orchester, Derby 1929 (Germany) NOTE: In last years of the Roaring Twenties, the “novelty-foxtrot” Bimbambulla composed by Hans May became one of the biggest hits of a day. It’s text - belonging to tradition of the comic “jungle-songs” - describes in a caricaturized way how the Congo boys express their love to the Congo girls (…by saying “hoola-hoola”…) and recalls pre-war European colonial resentments, when for most of the Europeans, “the Blacks” were still the “comical”, “jungle” figures. In later post-war years (after 1918) that old stereotype was, alas, brought back into Europe and enforced also by such international revue stars like Josephine Baker, who during her sensational tour in Germany and Austria in 1926 with the Revue Negre, presented by her in Nelson Theatre in Berlin, in Johann-Strauss Theatre in Wien and in many other prestigeous venues in both capital cities - personified that sort of Blacks’ caricature in her numerous comical numbers of stage buffoonery as well as her notorious “banana dance”. In general, those were days, when thanks to the triumphant march of American Black-jazz musicians across Europe and both Americas – who, during the 1920s almost entirely conquered music-halls and dance floors of the most of the world - the Blacks and their culture became top interest for the European elites. In Berlin, series of “Black” shows given in 1926 by American bandleader Sam Wooding and his Chocolate Kiddies became a sensation and were followed by his repeated visits to Berlin and to other European cities through all the 1920s. Also the first talkies with Al Jolson singing his Minstrel-hits, added to the growth of those cultural fascinations, which eventually saturated not only the minds of average consumers of pop-culture, but also the cream of the European artists. The prominent Weimar Republic cabaret singer Blandine Ebinger recalls in her memoirs, that obediently to those trends, even Friedrich Hollaender created his Jonny figure on basis of Sarotti-Moor - a small Black boy used to advertise chocolate and pralines. Foxtrot Bimbambulla was widely recorded by the Comedian Harmonists, the Two Jazzers, the Saxophon-Orchester Dobbri with Harry Steier, by Luigi Bernauer and by Walter Jurmann, among others. Unfortunately, in the presented recording the true name of the band remains anonymous, hidden under the nick “Karkoff-Orchester” (which was Derby Records label name for various German dance bands of the Goldene Zwanziger Jahre).