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Black music in Europe: 1939-45

Clarke Peters uncovers Nazi propaganda jazz, black American trumpet stars in occupied Paris, Caribbean swing bands playing through the Blitz and Nigerian composer Fela Sowande

Clarke looks at the music of black Europe at the time of the Second World War with recordings of Nazi propaganda jazz, underground bands in Hitler’s Germany, black American trumpet stars in occupied Paris, and Caribbean swing bands playing through the Blitz in London. He also examines the work of Nigerian composer Fela Sowande and plays extracts of his wartime broadcast for the BBC.

(Photo: Clark Peters. Credit:: Alexandra Quinn)

Available now

27 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Sat 15 Aug 202007:32GMT
  • Sat 15 Aug 202010:32GMT
  • Sun 16 Aug 202000:32GMT
  • Sun 16 Aug 202016:32GMT
  • Sun 16 Aug 202017:32GMT