Miss Zelia Moss: Brazil's first Black Vedette

 Miss Zelia Moss

Details about Zelia Moss' origins and early life are currently shrouded in mystery. She was born in Virginia (according to a 1925 interview with the Brazilian "A Gazeta" newspaper) around c. 1882 according to her death certificate. 

At some point, she migrated north to New York, eventually finding employment as a cook. Some time later, she found employment as the maid of a visiting Russian ballerina, who was appearing in a vaudeville revue. After the show closed, the Russian entertainer returned to Europe, convincing her new Black maid to accompany her. While in Paris, the wealthy French boyfriend of her Russian employer began sponsoring Zelia's dance lessons.

By 1903, Zelia had begun touring as a song-and-dance act, appearing in theatres, circuses, hotels and cabarets around France, performing in French (her most popular song was "Viens Poupole" while dancing a ten minute Cake Walk). In the summer of 1905, she was one of the leading artists at the Casino de Montmartre.

Valencia (May 1906)

In March 1906, she departed for Spain, appearing for four months in Barcelona and Valencia, singing, performing the Cake Walk and the Brazilian Maxixe.

In 1907, Zelia was a regular headliner at the Rat Mort Club, when she given a role as Fleur de Lys in the vaudeville-revue, "La Milieme Constant" at the Folies-Dramatiques, alongside with Paris' Queen of the Musichall, Mistinguett. Created by Henry de Gorsse and Louis Forest, the show opened on October 18th and ran for six months, closing early April 1908. 

During the summer of 1909, Zelia sailed to Brazil for the first time with a two-week contract with Italian impresario, Paschoal Segreto. In June 1909, she arrived in Rio de Janeiro for a week at the Concert Avenida do Pavilhão Internacional. That summer, Rio was swarming with other foreign Black entertainers during the summer of 1909, particularly an Afro-American orchestra from London and Afro-British singer, Josephine Morcashani. Alongside Morcashani, Zelia Moss was one of the earliest foreign Black female performers to grace Brazilian stages (after Sissieretta Jones who visited in the mid-1890s). The Brazilian press hardly paid her much attention, treating her as another visiting foreign artist, however she was enamored with the massive South American republic and was determined to establish herself there. In July, she traveled 274 miles down the coast to Sao Paulo, for another successful week at the Moulin Rouge cabaret. By October, she had returned to France, appearing at a casino in Vincennes, dancing to the sounds of the Fortunia orchestra

Poster for "Claudine" (1910)

In January 1910, Zelia performed for a month at the Theatre des Deux-Masques with a troupe directed by Henri Vaudry. Ten months later, on November 10th, she starred in the three-act operetta-revue (written by Colette Willy & Henry Gauthier-Villars), "Claudine" at the Moulin Rouge with Polaire, Marise Fairy and Claudius heading the cast. Under the direction of M. Faubert and music provided by Rodolphe Berger, the operetta (a musical adaptation of Colette's immensely popular Claudine series) ran for several successful month. Zelia appeared in the third act, as a singer at the L'Abbaye de Theleme performing "Chanson Americaine", a comical song about how the singer dances and sings for her lover Tommy around their little bamboo cabin:

"Li que j'aime d'amour ex-treme, D'son nom d'bapteme. S'appell Tom-my. Li m'en flamme, moi suis le femme. Li le ma-hi! A ne-gresse a-vec ten dresse. Quand li s'a dresse, toujours sou-rit! Pour li plaire et li dis-traire souvent, Moi, je chante en dan-sant! Tom-my! Viens le pe-tit Tommy! Viens gentil Tommy! Beau sa pajou, le p'tit bi-jou, le grand jou-jou!  Tom-my! Viens le pe-tit Tommy! Viens gentil Tommy! Je brul! Je bous par tous les bouts...ca-ban' bam-bous!"

In December, during the run of the operette, Zelia, now considered a serious actress, was approached to join Dufrenne & Grandjean's theatrical company, which was preparing a French Provincial tour for their military drama operettea, "Le Train de 8h47" (a theatrical adaptation of Georges Courteline's 1891 novel).

On January 20th, 1911, Zelia quit the revue and left Paris with Dufrenne & Grandjean's company. Beginning January 24th in the city of Troyes, the company of twenty-one actors toured France and Belgium for over 13 months. In August, during a brief rest from the show, she returned to the French capital to perform for a week at the Jardin de Paris. In March 1912, the company briefly staged, "Un Voyage de Noces", a three-act revue written by Jean Casan and starring singer, Jeanne Bloch, as the headliner. However, the following month, the company departed for North Africa for a two month tour of Tunisia and Algeria. In local theatres across the Atlas mountains, "Le Train 8h47" (with full stage sets, military equipment and an actual train car) and a new five-act operetta, "Prostituee" (written by Victor Margueritte) was a success amongst the locals and the French colonials. In June 1912, shortly after returning to France, Georges Grandjean passed away.

By November, Zelia had quit the company and was dancing in a revue, "Alma, Tout le monde descend!" at the Magic City amusement park.

*

Zelia Moss disappears from the limelight all of 1913, possibly appearing in small clubs around the Montmartre. In December 1913, she sailed from France back to Brazil, this time with a two-month contract with Paschoal Segreto with a salary of 2,000 Francs per month. On December 30th, she opened as one of the headliners of Rio de Janeiro's Theatro Palace for three weeks and became a major curiosity and fascination to the public, performing to the sounds of the popular Portuguese composer Luiz Filgueiras and his orchestra.. 

Miss Moss: Has Two Genders

On January 1st, 1914, while strolling along the Avenida Branco, crowds swarmed the African-American entertainer. Brazilians were unaccustomed to Blacks walking freely through major cities, fashionably dressed in the latest Parisian fashions and smoking cigarettes (which was considered a man' pastime in strictly Catholic Brazil). In Brazil (as in the United States), the Black population was usually kept in the background, employed as domestics, cooks, field hands, etc. The few Afro-Brazilian entertainers that had the opportunity to appear in the circus/beer hall scene were usually boxers, Capoeira fighters and comical vaudeville acts. The end of European immigration in 1910 meant the resurfacing of fears among Brazilian elite about the “blackening” of the population. 

Also Zelia's extremely tall stature and strong features caused many to confuse her with being a female impersonator. She eventually fled to the Confeitaria Colombo, an elegant cafe on the Rua Gonçalves Dias, hoping to escape the gawking masses. Unfortunately, the crowds followed her inside, surrounding her table and observing her smoke. Eventually, she asked the crowds to come watch her perform at the Palace before hailing a taxi back to her hotel. The event caused her to make front pages of the Brazilian press the following day.

Sao Paulo (January 1914)

SS Saturno from Uruguay to Rio (Feb.17, 1914)

On January 22nd, Zelia sailed to Sao Paulo, where she opened that evening at the Casino Antarctica, staying on for very successful two-weeks. On February 7, she left for Santos, to appear at the Hotel Lanterna de Genova. The day before she was set to sail back to Rio, one of the hotel employees stole five rings worth 500 Francs, and two wallets, one containing 1,008 Francs from her room. She immediately reported the incident to the hotel owner and the local police. However, she was disappointed to discover that the local police were unwilling to cooperate with the Black cabaret artist. Disappointed, she sailed back to Rio.From Rio, Zelia sailed to Uruguay, where she spent a week performing in Montevideo. She then boarded the SS Saturno back to Rio, arriving on February 17th, hastily moving into room no.6 at the Hotel Rio-de-Janeiro at 25, Rua Visconde de Inhaúma. The following evening, she resumed her engagement at the Theatro Palace. On February 21st, she conducted an interview with the "A Noite" newspaper, recounting her scandalous ordeal in Santos two weeks prior. Once her second engagement with the Palace had ended, she returned to Europe.

"La Petit Dactylo" as Comtesse Papreka

Zelia doesn't resurface until October 1916, appearing in Paris in the three act vaudeville-operetta, "La Petit Dactylo" at the Theatre du Gymnase for a month. Created by Maurice Hennequin & Georges Mitchell, the star of the revue was the 22-year old singer Yvonne Printemps, supported by Henry Defreyn, Harry Baur, Marcelle Rayne and Lucienne Debrennes and Zelia (as the Comtesse de Papreka, with a headress of white feathers) performing to the sound of H. Maurice Jacquet's orchestra.

*

In January 1917, she was a headliner in variety program at the Theatre Le Peletier. Five months later, in May, she was apart of the revue, "La Revue Caressante" at the Theatre Gaite-Rochechouart for two months. The two act revue, set in Napoleonic Egypt, was created by P. Briollet & Alin Monjardin, the headliner was the Spanish vedette, La Belle Manesca supported by Sinoel, Henry Rossi, Marichal, Vylna, Simonne Sym and others. Zelia was given much praise for her sensual and exotic dance number in the tableaux, "Nuit d'Egypt" (Egyptian Nights).

"Judith, Courtisane..." (1917)

On December 22nd, she opened at the Theatre Michel in the comedy operetta, "Judith, courtisane..." with famous dancer Cleo de Merode, comedian Dorville, Renee Baltha, Madeleine de Barbieux as the principal stars. The production (with two acts and three tableaux) was created by Andre Barde & Michel Carre, music was provided by Charles Cuvillier's Orchestra and costumes and décor designed by the coutier, Paul Poiret. The operetta ran for two month, closing on February 15th, 1918.

Sao Paulo (October 1918)

Circo America (November 1918)

She remained in the French capital until the spring of 1918, when a bad love affair with a Frenchman and heavy German bombardment caused her to flee France permanently. Instead of returning to the United States (where she hadn't been in over fifteen years), Zelia returned to Brazil. By September, where she established herself in a house at 9, Rua Visconde de Uruguai in the Cantareira neighborhood of Niterói across Guanabara Bay from Rio de Janeiro, signing a contract with the Empreza Freitas Soares agency before departing for Sao Paulo, where she opened on October 1st, 1918, at the Miramar Cinema, remaining for a week. On November 14th, as WWI drew to a close, Zelia danced in the "Grande Feira Annual", a large festival of entertainment held at the brand new Circo America (located on the remains of the old Ajuda Convent, beside the Theatro Alhambra). Newspapers mentioned Zelia as: “The beautiful North-American, who performs innovative dances”. On the morning of December 1st, 1918, Zelia boarded a ferry across Guanabara Bay back to Niteroi. While strolling through the streets on her way home, she was arrested by a police officer who accused her of being a female impersonator. After appearing before the local judge and a quick medical exam with Dr. Plinio Travassos, the courts quickly dropped the charges.

Fazendo A America (1925)

During the 1920s, as Jazz and Samba began to sweep across Brazil, Zelia wanted to branch away from dancing attempted numerous times to embark on a full Brazilian tour as a professional concert singer, however, the various theatrical booking agents were unable to secure stable employment for the American star. 

Negresse de la Butte (1926)

By 1925, Zelia Moss, having retired from the stage, relocated to Sao Paulo and rented a room at a brothel at 20, Rua Tymbiras (a street that was well-known for brothels and gambling dens). She was soon able to support herself by providing services as a clairvoyant, palm reader, tarot card reader and selling lucky charms. Zelia became extremely successful in Sao Paulo and was soon charging 3,000 reis per consultation. However, she soon caught the attention of Brazil's Delegado de Costumes e Jogo. The function of this government organization was to investigate and prevent all activities of public drunkeness, lewd books, drawings & prints as well as the suppression of African religions such as Umbanda, Macumba and Candomble. Tarot reading had become an extremely lucrative business in 1920s Sao Paulo and the Delegado was determined to squash it.

On April 1st, 1925, agents of the Delegado de Costumes e Jogo raided Zelia's apartment during one of her consultations and escorted her to their offices at Rua 7 de Abril, where she was photographed and questioned by Dr. Mario Bastos Cruz about her origins. She recounted her life story and her nearly twenty years as a entertainer. She spoke of how she discovered the clairvoyant arts and tarot in Paris, when she visited the famous prophet and clairvoyant, Madame de Thebes. She was released shortly afterwards. Ten months later, Zelia returned to her previous occupation as a Tarot reader, operating in tent on the side of the road. This lead to another arrest on February 25, 1926. 

Companhia Negra (August 14, 1926)

In June 1926, 39-year old singer, composer, De Chocolat (Joao Cândido Ferreira) invited Zelia to Rio to be apart of his new theatrical troupe, Companhia Negra de Revistas. De Chocolat had toured France, Spain and Portugal in the early-1920s, and was fascinated with Parisian musichall and Afro-American culture in the Montmartre district. There he experienced Europe's curiosity for the exoticism of Africa. He had also been fascinated with Zelia's American origins, European career and her ability to perform in the French language. During this period, she was frequently billed under the misspelled names of Miss Mon's, Miss Moons, Miss Moons-Murray. Also due to her ability to perform in French, she was also often advertised as being from Barbados, Martinique and Haiti. 

The Companhia Negra de Revista's first revue, "Tudo Preto" (All Black) opened July 31for a month at the Theatro Rialto. Together with De Chocolat's musical compositions, Portuguese choreographer, Jayme Silva's dances, musician Pixinguinha and a company of 30 dark-skinned Afro-Brazilians, the revolutionary company was a huge success. Zelia appeared towards the end of the first act in a sketch, "Charabia Africanos", where she performed an exotic African batuque dance number, reminiscent of her Parisian days.

Working with a all-Black company, Zelia quickly discovered and experienced the discrimination and racism that Afro-Brazilians suffered. The same discrimination that had caused Zelia to escape from the United States had caught up with her in Brazil. Critics criticized the revue as revolting and uncivilized. The administration of the Rialto had also installed "odorless dressing rooms" and frequently fumigated the theatre for cockroaches. 

On September 2nd, a new revue, "Preto e Branco" (Black & White) opened at the Rialto, this time Zelia appeared in the second act, in the 15th sketch, "Martinho e Catharina", performing a romantic French chanson to Martinho (played by Guilherme Flores) and Catharina (played by Rosa Negra). After two weeks, on September 22nd, the company opened at Niteroi's Theatro Colyseu. However, De Chocolat left the company after a dispute with Jayme Silva and formed the short-lived Ba-Ta-Clan Company.

On October 20th, the Companhia Negra de Revista opened a Sao Paulo's Theatro Apollo and Theatro Malfada for two weeks. On November 17th, for a week, the company played in Santos at the Theatro Guarany with a new revue, "Carvão Nacional". While in Sao Paulo, the company hired the 11-year old dancer, Sebastião Bernardes de Souza Prata (later known as Grande Otelo).

From December 3rd, 1926 to January 10th, 1927, the Companhia Negra toured the state of Sao Paulo, appearing in Ribeiro Preto, Bebedouro, Campinas, Piracicaba and Amparo. In the spring, the company returned to Rio, opening a new revue, "Cafe Torrado" at the Theatro Republica on March 5th for two weeks. The company then played four days in Petropolis. In April 1927, the company left for a tour the states of Pernambuco and Bahia, which lasted three months.

The Company received a contract for a tour of Uruguay and Argentina. Unfortuntely, however the Brazilian government threatened the company with imprisonment and deportation if the "Negro-revue" went abroad as it was felt the company didn't properly represent Brazil.

"A Lei do Inquilinato" (1927)

Returning to Rio in July 1927, Zelia took a rest from the company, having secured a role in William Schocair's latest comedy, "A Lei do Inquilinato". Filming took place at the Quinta da Boa and Jardim da Gloria. The film, a Brazilian attempt at emulating American Westerns, premiered August 20th, 1927.

Zelia was soon back with the Companhia Negra and on September 10th, for a week, the company made its final appearance in Rio de Janeiro at the Circo Central Variedades. Afterwards Zelia Moss disappears for over 12 years. During the late-1920s, she doesn't seemed to have recorded while in Brazil as Afro-Brazilians began capitalizing off recording popular numbers from the Companhia Negra. When the Companhia Mulata Brasileira was formed in September 1930, Zelia would've been too dark-skinned to be apart of the cast.

Zelia Moss retired from the stage during the 1930s-1940a, eventually turning to domestic work to support herself. She returned to the limelight in 1941, joining the Companhia Casa de Loucos. In August 1941, the company performed for the first time in the revue, "Praia Vermelha" (Red Beach) at the brand new Theatro Casa de Loucos on the Rua Pedro I. She's briefly mentioned again in a article the following year, but disappears afterwards, most likely returning to domestic work.

Zelia Moss, aged 70, passed away on June 4th, 1952 in Rio de Janeiro. She was later buried at the Cemiterio de Sao Francisco Xavier.