♪♪ >>> The history of African people is so vast that one hardly knows where to begin.

This is not just the history of nations and kingdoms and communities, but of outstanding individuals as well.

One of the most extraordinary of these individuals lived in 18th-century Europe, and he draws our attention like a powerful magnet.

His name is Joseph Bologne, known to history as "“Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

"” ♪♪ >>> The sun rises on Christmas Day, 1745, in the French Colony of Guadeloupe in the West Indies.

A baby, Joseph, is born to George Bologne de Saint-Georges, a wealthy, married, white plantation owner, and Nanon, an enslaved Senegalese woman.

Joseph'’s skin, a color between honey and nutmeg, glistened in the morning sun that poured in through the window.

Born at another time, in another place, his birth might not have been so celebrated.

But Joseph'’s entry into the world was hailed by his mom and dad, alike.

The midwife predicted that he would grow up to "“achieve great things.

"” (Actor) George: I have a daughter, and now I have a son.

I will use my money, position, power, whatever it takes, to lay the world at his feet.

>>> Young Joseph lived a privileged life on the plantation.

He did not have to toil in the fields, as the other children of enslaved parents were required to do.

Parents and children, alike, were awakened daily at 5 A.M. to line up for presentation, before starting their work.

By 7 A.M., with roll call ended, and all toiling in the fields, Nanon had arranged for breakfast to be prepared, and the table set.

Joseph would take his place next to his father.

(Actor) George: Tell me, my son, how are your studies going?

What new ideas are floating around in that head of yours?

Tell me about your violin lesson yesterday.

Was your Maestro happy with your progress?

>>> As the son of the plantation owner, Joseph had ample time to play.

He explored the island with his dad on Sundays, delivering food to the slave quarters.

Growing up near the vibrant port city of Basse-Terre, the mountainous part of the island, Joseph often visited the open markets and cafes while shopping with his mother.

He watched the ships unloading their cargo of sugar, coffee, cocoa, and human cargo of newly enslaved labor from Africa.

At the time, Basse-Terre and its surrounding area was a melting pot in which sounds, harmonies, and melodies mingled to form an astonishing and improbable musical stew.

Global citizens, and global music, poured into the port daily.

Joseph became enchanted with the sounds of music from France, including classical music brought over on royal vessels.

He had both time and opportunity to explore the world around him.

Hearing music from the African continent, local church hymns and popular music that poured out of the local taverns, expanded his curiosity and broadened his mind.

♪♪ George, who had gone to Guadeloupe to make his fortune, returned to Paris a wealthy man, along with his wife, Elizabeth Francois, daughter, Elizabeth Benedictine, his son, Joseph, who by then was approximately 10 years-old, and Joseph's mother, Nanon.

The trip was a life-changing event for both Joseph and his mother, Nanon, for by setting just one foot on French soil, Nanon became a freed citizen.

By a parliamentary decree in 1571, slaves were emancipated upon disembarkation.

Nanon often reminded Joseph... (Actor) Nanon: It was said at your birth that you would grow up to do great things.

But be cautious on your path, my son.

Your father is rich and powerful, but not everybody thinks the way he does.

Work hard, stay humble, and in time, you will change hearts and minds.

>>> Once in France, Joseph was excited to see people of color working at regular professions, as coachmen and delivery persons, alongside whites.

His dad had high hopes for his countrymen disregarding his son'’s color and respecting him for his knowledge and skills.

But the long-held beliefs in the superiority of whites over people from the African Continent provided many, many hurdles.

Joseph'’s mother, Nanon, was given a modest home to live in.

Joseph resided with his father and visited Nanon frequently, especially when he had good news to share.

He'’d play his violin for her, show off dance steps that he'’d learned, regale her with stories of time spent at sporting events with new friends, and of having sumptuous meals at their homes.

At the age of 13, Joseph entered the fencing academy of Nicolas Texier de La Böessière.

The academy was an elite boarding school for the sons of the aristocracy.

Mornings at the academy consisted of classes in mathematics, history, foreign languages, music, drawing and dance.

Afternoons were devoted to the most important subject, fencing!

It was the premier sport of the aristocracy and would give Joseph an easy entrance into French Society.

He trained alongside the son of La Böessière and became a cherished friend of the family.

Young Joseph was a tireless hard-worker, and to his father'’s delight, the top student in every class.

He hunted, danced, ice skated, and was a strong swimmer.

It was rumored that he could swim across the River Seine with one arm tied behind his back.

By 17, he had developed incredible speed.

Having reached the height of 5'’6"”-— tall for those days-— he was slim, well-built, extremely strong, and had great agility.

His height gave him the advantage of towering over his opponents to exploit their weaknesses.

His speed allowed him to recover quickly and return to the "“attack"” with the speed of lightning.

Joseph was a modern-day Renaissance man, mastering skills and growing in esteem, daily.

Joseph often won duels against men twice his age, and in 1765, a fencer named Alexandre Picard insulted Joseph and challenged him to a duel.

At first, Joseph refused, but his father promised him a new carriage if he fought and won.

Joseph fought and quickly emerged the victor.

Defeated, Picard retaliated by calling him a "“mulatto,"” an offensive name used to demean and disrespect people of mixed race.

Picard was neither a hero, nor a gentleman, just a sore loser.

Joseph suffered his first defeat the following year, at the hands of the famed Italian fencer Giuseppe Gianfaldoni.

After the match, Gianfaldoni offered nothing but praise for Joseph'’s skills, stating that he would soon be the best fencer on the European continent.

His prediction would come true.

Despite his skill with the foil, the laws regarding the children of mixed race were harsh.

Since 1729, a Code Noir, or Black Code, was established to restrict the rights of slaves, as well as free people of color.

Under this code, Joseph was unable to inherit property, or his father'’s noble title.

One story tells of Joseph being made an officer in the court of King Louis XVI.

He was henceforth known as "Le Chevalier."

It was the lowest title a nobleman could hold.

His father then added the name of the family plantation, Saint-Georges, and tacked on a variation of the family name, Bologne.

George was certain that the name, "Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges," would help open doors for his son, paving the way for success.

By the time he was 19, he was already an accomplished athlete and a recognized public figure.

Everyone called him "Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges," and started to compete for his company.

Many Parisians began inviting him to balls and soirees, while back at school, he was still taunted for his color, called names such as "half-caste, "badly-bleached."

No matter how skilled he was at the fine arts, he was harassed on a daily basis.

Bright and talented whites could move up, blend in, and slip into high society.

But before Joseph was able to charm and impress, many in high society were first struck by his color.

On his 21st birthday, he received a beautiful and valuable violin made by Nicolo Amati, the famous violin maker and teacher of Antonio Stradivari, whose name would become synonymous with excellence in string instruments, recognized worldwide.

At this point, Joseph was devoted to music and this gift helped him progress rapidly.

Composers, such as Carl Stamitz, began to dedicate compositions to Joseph.

It has been said that when performing, he would take his violin from the most expressive and passionate singing to the highest technical skills, dazzling all with his virtuosity.

His playing surged with the "joie de vivre," the "joy of life," which the French flocked to the concert halls to experience.

In addition to the violin, he mastered the harpsichord as well.

In 1769, Saint-Georges was hired as first violinist of Le Concert des Amateurs, directed by Francois-Joseph Gossec.

The group was made up of the finest musicians from the region.

There's something that bow technique and fencing have in common, and Joseph had an amazing skill for both.

In 1773, when Gossec moved on to a different conducting post, Saint-Georges became the group's director.

From the conductor's podium, he could play all his favorite composers, such as Bach, Corelli, Vivaldi, Telemann, Handel, and Haydn.

And, as the Maestro, he could shape this music written for ensemble as well.

This was one of the most important jobs in the musical world of Paris.

He was only 24 when the baton was passed to him, and he was paid very well for his new position as maestro.

He took joy in conducting the talented musicians who played violins, cellos, double basses, flutes, oboes, and bassoons.

The orchestra grew in reputation during his leadership.

Joseph became one of the most sought-after guests among the elite.

His fame was even known abroad.

American President, John Adams, predicted that Joseph would become, "...the most celebrated man in Europe," and for a while, he was.

The famous swordsman, Henry Angelo, claimed that Saint-Georges' mother, Nanon, was one of the most beautiful women, and that Saint-Georges combined, in his person, his mother's grace and good looks, and his father's vigor and assurance.

He became a favorite of the ladies at the fancy balls and parties.

Sadly, belief that Africans were genetically inferior to Europeans was widespread.

Interracial marriages were forbidden, and he would never marry.

(Actor) Joseph: I continued to rack up success after success, but my status in French society was still a conflicted one.

Not everyone was happy to see me, a man of color, beautifully dressed and wearing a powdered wig.

But many complimented me on my appearance and my top tier talent.

I have proven myself successful in so many arenas.

Surely, now, I have made it to the top.

Thus far, I had been celebrated as a fencer, as a conductor, and now, my public début as a violin soloist performing my two violin concertos earned me critical acclaim as a composer.

My first-string quartets were written in 1772.

They were among the first pieces of this type written in France and would become the first of my compositions to survive the ravages of history.

Over the next decade and a half, music continued to be the center of my life.

I commissioned Joseph Haydn to compose six symphonies, which I conducted.

I composed string quartets, concertos, symphonies, and operas, which were performed at the Paris Palais-Royale.

I had money, fame, important friends in high places, and social standing.

My fame continued to grow, and in 1774, I received an invitation to visit the Royal Palace at Versailles, to perform for his Majesty, King Louis XVI, and her Majesty, Queen Marie Antoinette.

It was the first time that a man of color would enter the palace to perform for royalty, and I was excited to be performing for the King and Queen.

I gained the respect of many of the royal entourage, and eventually became Marie Antoinette's music teacher.

We often played string quartets together.

But I was fired from that job because rumors claimed that we'd become close... too close.

Always looking for new musical styles to explore and conquer, I became fascinated by the stage and two years later, stopped composing instrumental music, in favor of opera.

Around that same time, the Paris Opera needed a new director, and I was convinced by my supporters to apply for the position.

King Louis thought it was a great idea as well.

Unfortunately, two of the singers, and a dancer, petitioned the Queen stating... (Actor) Female: "“My honor and the delicacy of my conscience will not permit me, ever, to be subjected to the orders of a mulatto.

"” (Actor) Joseph: To avoid embarrassing the royal couple, I withdrew my name, and the post remained unfilled.

This outcome was damaging to my spirit, my musical future, as well as the Paris Opera and the patrons, alike.

We all lost out.

I had become familiar with a few arias from Mozart'’s operas and had visions of introducing the Parisian audience to one of his grand works.

Mozart and I actually lived in the same place for a time.

Count Sickingen was a supporter of the arts and we both lived at his chateau for several months.

We appeared on the same concert programs regularly and there was a bit more than friendly rivalry between us.

I suspected that he may have borrowed a melody or two, here and there.

Listen for yourselves.

Here is a passage from my violin concerto, Op.7, that I composed in 1777.

♪♪ Now, listen to a section of Mozart'’s K. 364, composed the following year.

♪♪ What do you think?

Oh well, it happens.

I'’ll just remind you that I was born eleven years before Mozart and leave it at that.

While I tried to recover from the disappointing turn with the opera, the winds of dissent stirred outside my door.

The Age of Enlightenment, a cultural movement, was starting in Europe and spreading to many parts of the world.

The philosophy encouraged people to think for themselves, to work together to create a great society, and asserted that even those with little money or power should have the same rights as the rich and powerful.

This got my attention.

Before 1789, France was ruled by nobles and the Catholic Church.

There were three basic classes or "estates."

The First Estate was the clergy, the Second Estate, the nobles, and the Third Estate, the commoners.

Most of France belonged to the Third Estate, and there was little opportunity for people to move up to a higher Estate.

The rapid spread of the popular and timely ideas of this Age of Enlightenment encouraged many folk in the Third Estate to stand up to fight for their rightful place, and why not?

They had nothing to lose.

The call, "“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"” inspired people to take up arms to help bring about change.

It became a very dangerous time for my friends King Louis and dear Marie Antoinette.

I continued to suffer many dark days, as the storms of revolution were brewing.

For a big part of my life, I had been friends with the aristocracy.

I owed a lot of my prosperity to the monarchy.

Choosing sides was a huge challenge.

My loyalties were divided.

On one hand, I felt a deep connection to the goals of the Revolution that started in 1789.

I had great love and respect for my mother.

Our shared African heritage made me want to stand up to fight for the goals of liberty, equality and fraternity.

1792, I joined the fight.

The Parliament established an army of 800 foot soldiers and 200 mounted personnel, consisting mostly of Black soldiers, called the "Légion franche de cavalerie des Américains et du Midi.

"” The group was later referred to as "Légion Saint-Georges.

"” As Colonel Saint-Georges, I chose my good friend and protégé, Alexandre Dumas, as Lieutenant-Colonel.

He was the son of a French aristocrat and an enslaved African woman as well.

I educated him in the skills of swordsmanship and considered myself lucky to have him onboard.

He later had a son, also named Alexandre Dumas, who won fame as the author of The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Man in the Iron Mask.

My leadership was celebrated, and yet it was next to impossible to get the basic equipment we needed for success.

Half my regiment was without horses, barely enough ammunition to go around, and most, still missing home and mother.

With many inexperienced recruits still on foot, it took us three days to reach the training camp in Laon.

In February, the minister of war ordered me to take my regiment to the front.

I wrote back in protest.

"Short of horses, equipment and officers, I cannot lead my men to be slaughtered without a chance to teach them their left foot from their right.

"” In spite of a continuing shortage of officers and equipment, my regiment was finally able to prove themselves in the Netherland Campaign.

The French Revolution descended into a paranoid mess.

My friends Louis and dear, dear Marie were executed.

Like many others who had previously been heroes of the Revolution, I could be a good revolutionary one day, and the next day, I was the enemy of the people.

I had continued to participate in concerts and fencing events when I was free, but I was condemned by critics for being involved in what they called "“non-revolutionary activities.

"” My legion had fought well and defeated the Austrian army at Lille.

I had given all of myself to the cause.

The blood of friends had watered the Tree of Liberty and yet, shortly after our success, I was arrested, along with 10 of my officers, and taken away.

My officers were released two weeks later, but I remained in prison, falling to false charges of corruption and misusing public funds.

I was dismissed, and without a trial, imprisoned for 18 months.

Still, I considered myself to be lucky, as daily, I saw many of my fellow prisoners sent to the guillotine, also without the benefit of a trial.

And I was lucky to have something to help sustain me during the long hours of each day and night... my music.

Finally, the Committee of Public Safety ruled that no evidence existed to prove my guilt, and in 1794, ordered me released from prison.

Sadly, my freedom did not happen in time to see my beloved mother, Nanon, who died just before my release.

In spite of the overwhelming support of my men and junior officers, I was not allowed to resume command.

♪♪ In 1797, I was given the opportunity to direct The Circle of Harmony, a newly established concert organization in Paris.

In April, the journal, Mercury, posted the following review: "“The concerts which have been held under the direction of the famous Saint-Georges have left nothing to be desired, for the choice of works or the superiority of performance.

"” I survived the French Revolution by the skin of my teeth, and towards the end of my life, I once again became devoted to my violin, and played like never before.

At the end, I was taken in and cared for by Nicolas Duhamel, an old friend who had served under me during the war.

I was poor and suffered from a series of stomach ailments and a bladder infection.

Much of my music was lost or destroyed during the Revolution, and what survived was quickly forgotten.

Oh, they did publish a few commemorative editions of my work when I died, but it was a bad time to be a composer of color.

Any traces of my music were removed from orchestra repertoires, and essentially, from the history books.

Neither omission from the world'’s major music history textbooks, nor a lack of musicians programming my music, nor apathy from publishing houses and record labels, have erased me completely.

After two centuries of neglect caused by systemic racism, as long as my music survives, I survive.

Ah, but listen, I think that the music says it all.

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