In the heady days of the 1920s and 1930s, African American jazz musicians became crucial to defining the music of that era in Shanghai, China’s jazz Mecca. Yellow Jazz Black Music documents the little-known story of the influence African American artists had on Chinese musicians and the Chinese music industry, an important trend that has impacted the trajectory of popular music in China right up to the present. Using rare archival footage dating back to the 1920s, along with interviews among contemporary musicians and historians, the film presents to us the stories of African American jazz musicians who came to Shanghai a century ago, the decline and resurgence of jazz in China thereafter, and their revolutionary impact on the Chinese music scene.

This webinar will feature a moderated conversation and audience Q&A with director Marketus Presswood. To access the documentary, please register for the webinar at the link below. Registered participants will receive a link to watch the documentary 48 hours before the webinar.

 

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