Do you know about the Harlem Hellfighters’ band?
It was the regimental military band of the 369th Infantry Regiment during World War I. Led by Lieutenant James Reese Europe, the ensemble played a pivotal role in introducing jazz, blues, and ragtime music to European audiences.
The band was a 40- to 65-member ensemble that included African American and Afro-Puerto Rican musicians. They toured more than 2,000 miles across France in 1918, performing for Allied troops, French citizens, and wounded soldiers.
The regiment spent 191 days in combat - longer than any other American unit in WWI - earning high honours like the French Croix de Guerre, and the band's contributions helped lay the groundwork for the Harlem Renaissance.