How Jazz Emerged from the Worst Pandemic in History
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Most of us lindy hoppers are cooped up at home right now, searching, hoping, and waiting patiently for answers to the question, "When will life return to normal?" Part of my work involves writing health advisories and essential services articles. I have been researching the 1918 “Spanish Flu” pandemic, juxtaposing it with the 2020 Pandemic we now call our "new reality."
As I pour over archives from the past, I cannot help but notice how eerily the events of 1918 are similar with today's news. In 1918, state governance was on its own, as the feds were painfully absent from handling any national policies. As a dancer, I found it fascinating how the pandemic shapes community behavior and how the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic bled into the Prohibition Era and the emergence of jazz.
Here’s some "fun facts" I found:
Fact: All forms of public dancing were banned during the 1918 pandemic, along with athletic events, banquets, union meetings, club meetings, lectures, and all political gatherings. By the 1920s, as rules surrounding quarantining started to loosen up, the Prohibition Era was launched in efforts to "continue and improve health and hygiene" in America. While jazz pre-dates Prohibition, jazz flourished under the Prohibition era, with the emergence of speakeasies and clubs (along with musicians and dancers that come with the scene) taking place underground.
During the Jazz Age, numerous states passed "blue laws"—regulations that restrict certain activities on Sundays, including the sale of alcohol and banned dancing, some of which are still in effect today.
Photo: Spokesman-Review archives
Fact: Back in early 1918, San Francisco was the first city to require the use of masks back in when the first wave of the Spanish flu hit the west coast. People were fined $5 for non-compliance, an equivalent of $100 by today's standards. A second wave hit the eastern U.S. cities by fall, and theoretically, San Francisco had plenty of time to prepare.
CREDIT: San Francisco Chronicle , 1918
Fact: By November 1918, the virus spread had slowed down in other parts of the country, and San Franciscans declared it was safe to remove the masks. The move to reopen up businesses and social activity was premature, causing the "third wave" of cases in San Francisco and extending the pandemic spread to the Spring of 1919. By the end of the health crisis, San Francisco was hit the hardest, suffering the highest death rate from the Spanish flu nationwide.
It's painful to wait at home and simply "do nothing", but I believe the best thing we can do is be patient. So we may have to zoom a little more with dance friends, learn some solo jazz, or chorus girl choreography. But let's learn from the past. Standing apart means we stand together, to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 spread.
I am encouraged that the best jazz music and dance styles emerged after the 1918 pandemic. The 2020 pandemic might be the perfect breeding ground for unparalleled creativity and amazing art. Collectively, musicians, dancers, and artists have been forced to slow down, pause and reflect - giving us the guts and gumption to sing and dance from a deep place of wonder, pain, and introspection. When it is safe to do so, count on the dancers to Suzy-Q, Shorty George, and Shim Sham our way back to the dance halls.
Beauty can emerge from this. And perhaps something as deep and soulful as jazz.
Sebastopol, CA 1918 - The NSGW Drum Corps celebrates the end of WWI. Musicians wearing flu masks to protect from influenza. Photo: Western Sonoma County Historical Society
Auey Santos lives, loves and lindys in Oakland, CA. She’s an award-winning storyteller, writer and photographer. Current obsessions include veggie gardening, her ukulele, useless trivia, raising her two rambunctious boys into wonderful humans. Check out her photography at aueysantos.com.
