- "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday
A la demande d'un collègue de Rouen, voici des adresses pour étudier cette chanson et le mettre dans son contexte socio-historique. Ce travail entrera bien dans le cadre de "Black History Month", en Février chaque année.
Lyrics
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/billie-holiday/17859.html
Video clip
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/strangefruit/film.html
To download and analyse the song from a musical point of view
http://odeo.com/audio/157180/view
History of the song and lyrics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Fruit (all the info)
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USACstrangefruit.htm (short and simple, with several relevant links)
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/feb2002/frut-f08.shtml (more complex)
http://www.geocities.com/anthropologyresistance/fruit.html
http://www.canongate.net/News/BillieHoliday
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/04.20.05/holiday-0516.html ( in relation to Angela Davis' book)
Billie Holiday's bios (on K12 sites)
http://www.east-buc.k12.ia.us/98_99/Ess/tiffany.htm (by a student)
http://www.cdps.k12.ms.us/chs/teles032/second3.html ( id but longer, with pictures)
http://cms.westport.k12.ct.us/cmslmc/music/jazzbios/holliday.htm
Comments
in French and German : http://www.arte-tv.com/fr/art-musique/Billie_20Holiday/819254,CmC=832806.html
< http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/resources/lessonplans/hs_lp_billie_holiday.htm>Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit: Using Music to Send a Message--Many early African-American songs, such as "The Drinking Gourd," were used to pass secret messages during the period of slavery. As Reconstruction passed into the Jim Crow Era, predominately African-American music such as jazz and blues evolved. This music explored the feelings of frustration, poverty, and depression that many African-American communities experienced. This music also began advocating for social change. Songs that promoted social activism were rare before the mid 1960s. One of the earliest of these songs, "Strange Fruit," was sung by the blues singer, Billie Holiday. Though it was popular, Holiday's recording company, Columbia Records, refused to produce the song due to its controversial nature. A small record company picked it up, and it has now been commonly accepted as Holiday's signature song. (from http://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/Specialist/franceslively/sol8.htm )
Interpretation on a blog "Lady Sings The Dixiecrat Double Entendre Blues" (for teachers, go to dec 16th)
http://bodyandsoul.blogspot.com/2002_12_15_bodyandsoul_archive.html
Lesson Plans
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/page/4839.html?wtlAC=GSLessonplans,email-h (très complet)
http://www.wpe.com/~musici/strangedbq.html (constructed response activity)
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/thismonth/sept03/index1.shtm ( descendre au n°7)
http://hs.riverdale.k12.or.us/~moldani/enghist11/strangefruit.html (in connection with the Jim Crow Laws)
"Jazz is about Freedom" http://www.pbs.org/jazz/classroom/jazzfreedom.htm
"Blues, art and poetry" : http://tvdec.k12.ne.us/cec/cecneemanwelniak.htm
"Lesson for The Florida Terror: Race Relations in the Early Twentieth-Century" http://www.pcsb.k12.fl.us/tah/d-3-2.htm
http://www.pcsb.k12.fl.us/tah/pdfs/d-3.pdf (same lesson in .pdf)
some questions from < http://seced.ucps.k12.nc.us/Curriculum%20Areas/English/English%20III/Strange%20Fruit.doc> http://seced.ucps.k12.nc.us/Curriculum%20Areas/English/English%20III/Strange%20Fruit.doc :
"This is Billie Holiday's signature song. As you listen to it, keep the following questions in mind:
- How does Holiday use her voice to reinforce the tone of the poem?
- What is the subject of the poem? How does this relate to A Raisin in the Sun?
- Let us not forget about the works that we read in the past. Can you connect the poem to The Grapes of Wrath in any way? "
Poems, raps from students after studying Civil rights and black Americans (example of production)
http://www.okaloosa.k12.fl.us/djj/Technologykp/Blackhistoryweb/poemraps.html
Audio files
- in a program called "Here and Now" about Rosenbergs' son, with transcript of the introduction, followed by an interview of Robert Meeropol about his parents, the Rosenbergs.
http://www.here-now.org/shows/2003/06/20030618_5.asp
- in a program called "The Connection" the song and an interview (no script)
http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2000/05/20000526_b_main.asp
- in a program called "inside out" from Boston NPR "Jews and Blues"
http://www.insideout.org/documentaries/jewsandblues/listen.asp