How does the son of a slave in eighteenth-century France grow up to become a skilled swordsman, violin virtuoso, inspirational composer and famed military commander?
Joseph Boulogne was born on Christmas Day in 1745 on the island of Guadeloupe. His mother was a slave; his father a wealthy planter and soon-to-be minor nobleman in France. His fascinating story is one of determination – his father’s determination to give him a better life in Paris, and his own determination to not only succeed, but excel at whatever he tried. He rubbed shoulders (and created music) with the likes of Marie Antoinette, and Franz-Josef Haydn. He dueled some of the best fencers in France, and at 5’9″ (quite the physical stature at the time) and was also rumored to be quite popular with the ladies. But most impressively, near the end of his life Bologne devoted himself to ending slavery. He became one of the first Freemasons of color, and a Colonel of the Black Legion fighting for liberté, fraternité, and égalité.
To learn more, pick up the fascinating biography: Monsieur De Saint-George: Virtuoso, Swordsman, Revolutionary – A Legendary Life Rediscovered by Alain Guédé.
Or, do like I did and read the children’s version: The Other Mozart: The Life of the Famous Chevalier de Saint-George written by Hugh Brewster and illustrated by Eric Velasquez. It’s well-written with beautiful pictures and informative tangents on historical events of that era.
To hear more, check out Le Mozart Noir, a beautiful award-winning DVD documentary about his life. Or pick up the CD by the same name, which features performances by the Tafelmusik Orchestra of some of Saint-George’s previously unrecorded works. ~ Samantha W.
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