In Dahomey by Grainger, Percy

In its original form, In Dahomey was the first full-length musical production written and played by African Americans at a major Broadway theatre; the full title was “In Dahomey: A Negro Musical Comedy.” Percy Grainger wrote his piece for solo piano in 1903, titled In Dahomey “Cakewalk Smasher”, after being inspired by the UK tour of the successful American musical comedy. Similar to how French composer Maurice Ravel would incorporate jazz idioms into his own compositions, Grainger’s In Dahomey gives the listener a valuable perspective on how very early American jazz was understood and enjoyed across the Atlantic.

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