If you have a deep interest in music, you must have known Edmond Dédé, who is known as a great American musician and composer. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He moved to Europe for his further studies in 1855. However, he ended up settling in France.
Moreover, his father was a professional musician of French west Indian origin. Also, he was a free black in of united States south region. Furthermore, Edmond worked hard to become an excellent violinist as he used to work in the cigar factory in the daytime. While in the evening, he worked for orchestras.
However, his struggle didn’t go in vain, and he got a chance to study with a famous composer of those times, Halevy. Most of the progress in his career took place in France. Also, he never returned to the United States. Also, he was so passionate that he conducted the Grand Théotre orchestra in Bordeaux for many years. Edmond Dédé contributed a lot to the world of music.
Compositions
He was a versatile composer, and all his compositions were high quality. He never compromised on the quality of his compositions. He composed music in several genres. Some of his compositions include:
- Le Palmier Overture
- Le Serment de L’Arabe and Patriotisme
- Quasimodo Symphony
Also, he composed numerous songs, from ballet and operetta to chamber music and other famous music.
Moreover, he started the composition of the grand opera Le Sultan d’Ispahan (The Sultan of Spain), but unfortunately, it was never completed as he fell ill. However, he died in Paris in 1903.
However, the violin was his favorite instrument and remained in his music. Additionally, he returned to New Orleans in 1893, where he was part of numerous concerts. However, the famous music critic L’Abeille honored his work and appreciated his music career.
Also, he liked each of his performances and always gave positive comments.
Also, he was so inspired by this work that he saw his play “Le Trouvere” without a score. However, he also praised Dédé in his columns in the newspaper.
Edmond composed beautiful songs that his audience liked the most. Moreover, different celebrities and other high-profile musicians admired his work. He kept writing different music genres with complete devotion. Besides, he developed an interest in music because his father was also linked to the local military band.
Music learning
He had a keen interest in learning music, and the violin was his favorite musical instrument. Also, his name had quite many spellings, like Edmond to Edmund. He was so passionate about music that he got some profound music lessons from famous violinists named Italian-born Ludovico Gabici and Constantin Debergue. Music is the soul for some, and Edmond Dédé is one of them.
He never depended on one type of music but also took an interest in different music types, which showed how sincere he was with his passion for music.
Marital life
Edmond Dédé got married to the lady Sylvie Leflat in 1864, who was a French woman who belonged to an elite class. Also, they had a son together whom they named Eugene Arcade Dédé. Their son was highly inspired by his father’s work and built an interest in music. He ended up being a great composer and musician.
The ship incident
Dédé again decided to return to New Orleans in 1893. Unfortunately, his ship got hit due to bad weather conditions and a forced dock near Galveston. He had to be there for a good two months.
Also, an unfavorable incident happened during his stay in Texas, as his Cremona violin was lost in an event. But he managed to find an alternative. He did not waste his time but traveled to different cities in the United States and presented meaningful concerts. He then made his return to Paris in 1894.
Appreciation by google
Edmond Dédé’s work was highly appreciated by google, and his 194th birthday was celebrated to honor the musician. His work in music was exceptionally excellent because not everyone can get credits from google.
Google credits different personalities and remarkable personalities with doodles.
Inspiration from father
Edmond’s father was also associated with the band and was a bandmaster. Moreover, he developed an interest in his father for being a clarinet. Even more, his father was a bandmaster in the local military. However, he soon shifted his interest in violin and used it in all his compositions and music.
How did Edmond overcome racial discrimination?
Edmon was a man with high hopes. He did not have an ear to the prejudice of people. Also, the time was quite challenging for black people. Moreover, he was a great composer of that time, and his talent allowed him to become the world’s best composer. However, his several music sheets are still available to the public and are kept in the national library of France and several other American universities.
In essence, many contemporary classical musicians got inspired by his music and took pride in his work, and honored him.
Conclusion
Edmond dédé a black American musician who loved his passion to a great extent. He moved to different countries to continue learning and practicing music. Also, his struggles were fantastic when it came to music. He did not have much money at initial times, but his struggle made him earn enough to move to Paris to practice music with a famous composer.
Furthermore, he presented concerts in different countries where the public acknowledged his work and appreciated him. Moreover, not only was he a good musician but a composer too. He had composed several pieces of music and several genres. Besides, he was a violinist, and infact his favorite instrument was a violin.
Edmond’s compositions got famous, and he was recognized as a leading musician of his time. Even better, he was a devoted musician who contributed to the fields, and many people followed him. Also, his concerts were full of life, and people were desperate to attend his performances.
