An evening with Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and the Fondation pour le Vésinet

On Monday May 26th, the Joséphine Baker Commemorative Site’s principal partner and sponsor, the Fondation pour le Vésinet, hosted their annual concert at the Vésinet’s Alain Jonemann Theater. At the fundraising event, the orchestral group “Le Trio Hélios” and French actor François Berléand performed “The Manteau,” accompanied by the music of Anton Arensky.

Opening the evening, one of Joséphine’s children of her famed “Rainbow Tribe,” Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker, gave a moving speech about his mother’s history, impact, and contributions in the town of Le Vésinet while she lived at the villa Beau-Chêne. It was in this period in her life where her star rose to astronomical heights, where she had her beloved pet and stage sidekick cheetah Chiquita the cheetah, where French intelligence agent Jacques Abtey asked her to become a WWII Resistance spy, and where she became a pilot.

The evening concluded with a champagne reception where information about the foundation, Joséphine Baker, and the Joséphine Baker Commemorative Site were shared with the public. Thanks to the efforts of the Foundation pour le Vésinet and its president François Gluck, €10,000 for the future sculpture site.

To learn about upcoming events, follow the Joséphine Baker Commemorative Site on Instagram at @JosephineBakerCommemoration or check back on our website for updates.