The Blackbird and The Duke

Although Ellington and Mills never formally collaborated, their lives were entwined in the Black cultural revolution of the Harlem Renaissance in mid-1920s New York.

The evening begins with the premiere of The Blackbird of Harlem, telling the story of the artist, activist and trailblazer Florence Mills through music, dance and spoken word.

It also features two of Duke Ellington’s seminal pieces that chart the influence of the influential New York district, A Tone Parallel to Harlem and Black, Brown and Beige.

As African American artists and writers united to take ownership of their own representation, Mills and Ellington were at the centre of a creative movement that shook up a city and woke up a nation, the impact of which can still be felt across the world to this day.

Duke Ellington composed A Tone Parallel to Harlem in 1951, capturing the transformative essence of the Harlem Renaissance, creating a vivid soundscape of the times.

Black, Brown and Beige charts the social narrative of African American history. Beginning with the burden and oppression of ‘Work Song’, the prayer for salvation of ‘Come Sunday’ (originally performed and recorded with the Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson), the story shifts to the patriotic Black Americans fighting in the Revolutionary, Civil and Spanish-American wars.

The final chapter covers the ‘Great Migration’ and the movement of Black Americans into the city – arriving in Harlem, hungry for a cultural awakening and revolution that would shape the identity of African Americans in the 20th century and beyond.

Florence Mills’ story is a testament to resilience, talent, and her pursuit of equality. From her childhood and Vaudeville beginnings, through to her breakthrough on Broadway in Shuffle Along and subsequent headline shows and European tours, Nu Civilisation Orchestra tells the little-known story of the life of the singer, dancer and formidable campaigner for equal rights for African Americans, who became known across the world as ‘The Blackbird of Harlem’.

This event is part of Tomorrow’s Warriors Presents Harlem Renaissance: A 100 Year Revolution. Supported by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust.