TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
The Harlem Hellfighters were more than just a legendary infantry regiment in World War I—they were pioneers in bringing jazz to the world stage.
Officially known as the 369th Infantry Regiment, this all-Black unit served valiantly in France. But beyond their battlefield bravery, they introduced European audiences to the hot sounds of New York’s Harlem.
Led by James Reese Europe, the regiment’s military band played syncopated rhythms and ragtime tunes that would become the foundation of jazz.
Europe and his Hellfighters toured France and beyond, dazzling crowds with this new, energetic music, spreading jazz across the Atlantic long before it hit mainstream America.
Their courage in combat and music broke barriers, helping jazz become a global language of freedom and resilience.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.