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Ferlov Mancoba

Audio file 117-1

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Time
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Paris 1938-1947

Wonga finishes a sentence about Ernest needing to find a new studio, asks him about visiting galleries and museums with Sonja and opportunities of seeing African art

Ernest had 3 studios in Paris from when he arrived and when the family left for Denmark

African art

Ernest speaks of the Musée de l'Homme and the positive attitude of the collectors Charles Ratton, Carl and Amalie Kjersmeiers and the art dealer Paul Guillaume towards African art

The Musée de l'Homme is now the Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac

colonialism

Ernest recalls Carl Kjersmeier criticising Christian missionaries as agents of colonialism in their minimisation of African art

Paris 1938-1947

Wonga returns to Paris life with Sonja; Wonga recounts Sonja being excited to see modern art at Galerie Pierre (mentions Artaud)

Galerie Pierre was owned by Pierre Loeb and was an esteemed gallery that showed modern art

Paris 1938-1947

Ernest's first studio is at 19 Rue d'Aguerre; Sonja's was in Alberto Giacometti's complex at Rue du Moulin Vert; Wonga asks about daily routines, recounts what he knows of Sonja's day (dining at Café du Dôme, Les Halles)

Café du Dôme or Le Dôme was a popular venue for artists, said to offer cheap fare. Les Halles hosted a food market

Sonja Ferlov Mancoba, jazz

Wonga recalls Sonja's enjoyment of jazz (Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington); Ernest explains that she heard the underlying sorrow of slavery in it, that the music was an appeal for comprehension, but Wonga disagrees that jazz seeks pity; Wonga acknowledges Sonja's empathy especially with her knowledge of African art

Sonja Ferlov Mancoba, jazz

Wonga continues about jazz and the African expression and why it appealed to Sonja, Ernest agrees; Wonga continues about the differences in performative nature by performers like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway (compares Armstrong to Picasso in jazz)

in audio file 46-1, Clarisse Penso recalls Sonja Ferlov Mancoba attending a Louis Armstrong concert in Copenhagen

[tape ends, continues 117-2]

Facts

PDF
Audio clip
46:17
Ernest Mancoba
Wonga Mancoba
Wonga asks about Ernest about his early days in Paris and meeting Sonja. The conversation continues 117-2

About the recordings: Ernest Mancoba's son, Marc also known as Wonga, recorded interviews with his father. The interviews seemed to serve different purposes and are not in chronological order.

Ca.1990-2002 (117-1)

The audio files are undated but is likely to have been recorded some time between 1990 and 2002
Time index and commentary prepared by W. Sze
Paris
  • Rue d'Aguerre, Paris
  • Rue du Moulin Vert, Paris
  • Café du Dôme, a restaurant in Paris
  • Les Halles, Paris
Estate of Ferlov Mancoba