So I recently finished reading The Great Black Way: L.A. in the 1940s and the Lost African-American Renaissance by RJ Smith (check it out here). It is an absolutely fascinating account about life in the black community in Los Angeles during the war years. (You probably picked that up from the title). It's a great portrait of the quest for civil rights, the literary and music scene, and the experience of everyday life in the city during that time.
Anyhow, there's a great vignette about this character Korla Pandit. An African-American born as John Redd in Colombia, Missouri, he changed his name and transformed his identity into a mysterious Indian named "Korla Pandit." The makeover was part showbiz, part practical. At the time, African-Americans had difficulty breaking into mainstream entertainment, so he took advantage of his light skin to create a new persona. Long story short, Pandit was hooked up with a musical TV show in the L.A. area in the 1950s. He never spoke, just played the organ and stared at the camera. According to Smith:
His television show, Korla Pandit's Adventures in Music, was the first all-music program on television, and Korla was one of the first stars of the medium. He played organ live five days a week, performing some 900 shows, which makes him one of the most prolific television stars in history.
Smith continues:
Born at a time when a black man in the South could get whipped for making eye contact with a white woman, Korla Pandit made dreamy eyes at thousands upon thousands of aproned white homemakers, stole into their dens as they warmed their fondue pots.
Definitely one of those long forgotten stories of the struggle for equality and justice in this nation. So check out this clip. This guy was making eyes at your grandmom.
Anyhow, there's a great vignette about this character Korla Pandit. An African-American born as John Redd in Colombia, Missouri, he changed his name and transformed his identity into a mysterious Indian named "Korla Pandit." The makeover was part showbiz, part practical. At the time, African-Americans had difficulty breaking into mainstream entertainment, so he took advantage of his light skin to create a new persona. Long story short, Pandit was hooked up with a musical TV show in the L.A. area in the 1950s. He never spoke, just played the organ and stared at the camera. According to Smith:
His television show, Korla Pandit's Adventures in Music, was the first all-music program on television, and Korla was one of the first stars of the medium. He played organ live five days a week, performing some 900 shows, which makes him one of the most prolific television stars in history.
Smith continues:
Born at a time when a black man in the South could get whipped for making eye contact with a white woman, Korla Pandit made dreamy eyes at thousands upon thousands of aproned white homemakers, stole into their dens as they warmed their fondue pots.
Definitely one of those long forgotten stories of the struggle for equality and justice in this nation. So check out this clip. This guy was making eyes at your grandmom.
No comments:
Post a Comment