{"id":10984,"date":"2021-01-23T20:58:58","date_gmt":"2021-01-23T20:58:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/?page_id=10984"},"modified":"2022-01-24T15:13:44","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T15:13:44","slug":"the-369th-regiment-harlem-hellfighters-marching-band","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/urban-culture\/the-369th-regiment-harlem-hellfighters-marching-band\/","title":{"rendered":"The 369th Regiment Harlem Hellfighter\u2019s Marching Band"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>#kt-layout-id_b8e4a6-a8 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(#kt-layout-id_b8e4a6-a8 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}#kt-layout-id_b8e4a6-a8 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);padding-top:var( --global-kb-row-default-top, 25px );padding-bottom:var( --global-kb-row-default-bottom, 25px );padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}#kt-layout-id_b8e4a6-a8 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){#kt-layout-id_b8e4a6-a8 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){#kt-layout-id_b8e4a6-a8 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-rowlayout alignnone one-column\"><div id=\"kt-layout-id_b8e4a6-a8\" class=\"kt-row-layout-inner kt-layout-id_b8e4a6-a8\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-gutter-default kt-v-gutter-default kt-row-valign-top kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-m-colapse-left-to-right kt-mobile-layout-row\"><style>.kadence-column_260d25-86 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_260d25-86 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_260d25-86 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_260d25-86 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_260d25-86 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_260d25-86 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_260d25-86 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_260d25-86{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_260d25-86 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_260d25-86 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_260d25-86\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>#kt-layout-id_01ef65-ab > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(#kt-layout-id_01ef65-ab > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}#kt-layout-id_01ef65-ab > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);padding-top:var( --global-kb-row-default-top, 25px );padding-bottom:var( --global-kb-row-default-bottom, 25px );padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}#kt-layout-id_01ef65-ab > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){#kt-layout-id_01ef65-ab > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){#kt-layout-id_01ef65-ab > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-rowlayout alignnone\"><div id=\"kt-layout-id_01ef65-ab\" class=\"kt-row-layout-inner kt-layout-id_01ef65-ab\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-2-columns kt-gutter-default kt-v-gutter-default kt-row-valign-top kt-row-layout-right-golden kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-m-colapse-left-to-right kt-mobile-layout-row\"><style>.kadence-column_e7e85b-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_e7e85b-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_e7e85b-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_e7e85b-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_e7e85b-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_e7e85b-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_e7e85b-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_e7e85b-65{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_e7e85b-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_e7e85b-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_e7e85b-65\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/1.4Rafael___Jesus_Hernandez-324x500-1.jpg\" alt=\"1.4Rafael___Jesus_Hernandez\" srcset=\"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/1.4Rafael___Jesus_Hernandez-324x500.jpg 324w, https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/1.4Rafael___Jesus_Hernandez-649x1000.jpg 649w, https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/1.4Rafael___Jesus_Hernandez.jpg 937w\" width=\"324\" height=\"500\"><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column_b79724-b3 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_b79724-b3 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_b79724-b3 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_b79724-b3 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_b79724-b3 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_b79724-b3 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_b79724-b3 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_b79724-b3{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_b79724-b3 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_b79724-b3 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-2 kadence-column_b79724-b3\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em><strong>DIGITIZING AND DISSEMINATING THEIR MUSICAL LEGACY<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7173\">Rafael Hern\u00e1ndez (left) and his brother Jes\u00fas Hernandez in uniform. Photo credit: Donald Thompson collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 369<sup>th&nbsp;<\/sup>Regiment known as the Harlem Hellfighters became famous during World War I not only for their courage on the battlefield, but for 369<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;Regimental Army Band. They were an all-Black band in the segregated army led by James Reese Europe, who many credit as helping to initiate the Harlem Renaissance. The band, which recruited up to a third of their members from Puerto Rico, introduced European audiences, particularly in France, to live jazz music and influenced the careers of notable musicians including Latin music\u2019s greatest composer Rafael Hernandez as well as jazz greats Noble Sissle, Charles \u201cLucky\u201d Roberts, and Frances Eugene Mikall&nbsp;as well as jazz greats Noble Sissle and Charles \u201cLucky\u201d Roberts and composer Frances Eugene Mikall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>City Lore is engaged in a new initiative to digitize and disseminate the music scores and song charts of the 369<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;Regiment Historical Society for future generations of musicians and the public, and, in the process, tell their important (and in the case of the Puerto Rican musician\u2019s their largely untold) story. This forthcoming digitized collection, which was stored for many years in the basement of the 369<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;Regiment Armory, will shed light on African American, Latino, and on America\u2019s musical history. It has particular relevance to the history of jazz, African American blues, Latin music, and military marches.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"535\" src=\"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Baritone-B-flat-Treble-Clef-e1450105092307-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Baritone-B-flat-Treble-Clef-e1450105092307-1.jpg 700w, https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Baritone-B-flat-Treble-Clef-e1450105092307-1-350x268.jpg 350w, https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Baritone-B-flat-Treble-Clef-e1450105092307-1-600x459.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Clarinet-E-flat-e1450104887339-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Clarinet-E-flat-e1450104887339-1.jpg 700w, https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Clarinet-E-flat-e1450104887339-1-350x267.jpg 350w, https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Clarinet-E-flat-e1450104887339-1-600x458.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Clarinet-E-flat-e1450104887339.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7176\">Here are a couple of charts for the song \u201cMemphis Blues\u201d which was a standard of the regimental band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the eve of WW I African American bandleader, James Reese Europe, was tasked with forming an all-Black military band. Reed players able to read music and willing to enlist were scarce in New York, but Puerto Rico\u2019s tradition of municipal bands with trained musicians of African-American ancestry enticed Europe to the Island where he recruited 18 Afro-Puerto Ricans for the regiment. The many municipal bands that played throughout the island were made up of some of the finest of the island\u2019s musicians who could play various instruments. Subsequently a third of the regimental band was comprised of Afro-Puerto Ricans, who would not only to leave their mark during their military service, but some would settle in New York after the war, changing Latin music forever; among the many distinguished musicians was one who would become an internationally celebrated composer, Rafael Hern\u00e1ndez.<a href=\"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/HostosRoberto2.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7174\">Concert at Hostos Community College Center for the Arts &amp; Culture. The Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band joined by the string section from the Bronx Arts Ensemble and the 319th U.S. Army Band led by Luis Santiago Serra. Photo by Roberto Sanabria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The importance of the Harlem Hellfighters Marching Band collection goes far beyond the relevance to the Latino community. Due to the regimental band\u2019s success, bands with Black musicians became a regular feature on Broadway. James Reese Europe was a precursor not only of the Harlem Renaissance but of jazz greats Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol (the valve trombonist and composer in Ellington\u2019s band who wrote such jazz standards as, \u201cCaravan\u201d and \u201cPerdido.\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>A full version\u00a0about the Harlem Hellfighter\u2019s Marching Band and Rafael Hern\u00e1ndez appears\u00a0in New York Folklore Society\u2019s publication\u00a0Voices: Journal of New York Folklore (Spring\u2013Summer 2014 Volume 40: 1\u20132<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Project Director:&nbsp;Elena&nbsp;Mart\u00ednez&nbsp;<br>Project Archivist: Jorge Arevalo<br>Intern: Max Marinoff<br>Webpage: Anna Mul\u00e9 and Chris Mul\u00e9&nbsp;<br>Music charts owned by the 369th Regiment Historical Society.<br>This project is in conjunction with the 369th Regiment Historical Society and overseen by Major General Nathaniel James<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Author\u2019s note: Though Bill \u201cBojangles\u201d Robinson claimed to be in the 369th Regiment and various documents assert this, he actually was not in the regiment.&nbsp;&nbsp;Like many other Harlem luminaries who were friends with James Reese Europe, he supported the regiment in the early days and later played a member of the regiment in the 1943 film,&nbsp;Stormy Weather.<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"263\" src=\"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/LGCF_red_grey_eng_R-350x263-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10985\" srcset=\"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/LGCF_red_grey_eng_R-350x263-2.jpg 350w, https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/LGCF_red_grey_eng_R-350x263-2-200x150.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation reserves the right to authorize, prohibit, or limit the use of logos or the registered trademark of the Foundation.&nbsp; The logo and the Latin Grammy gramophone, the logo of the Latin Academy of Recording, and the logo of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation are registered trademarks of the Recording Academy and are under license.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>City Lore is engaged in a new initiative to digitize and disseminate the music scores and song charts of the 369th Regiment Historical Society for future generations of musicians and the public, and, in the process, tell their important (and in the case of the Puerto Rican musician\u2019s their largely untold) story. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":816,"parent":10975,"menu_order":228,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"page_builder":[],"layout":[],"teaching_artist_category":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10984"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10984"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14720,"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10984\/revisions\/14720"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"page_builder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/page_builder?post=10984"},{"taxonomy":"layout","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/layout?post=10984"},{"taxonomy":"teaching_artist_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citylore.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/teaching_artist_category?post=10984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}