Hector Zazou
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Further to Jon Lusk's obituary of Hector Zazou (10 September), writes Ken Hunt, Pierre Job's alias had a far greater resonance than merely alluding to a post-war hipster subculture. Les Zazous were the French manifestation of an anti-fascist youth subculture that sprang up in many occupied countries in the 1930s and 1940s. They allied themselves with swing jazz – labelled degenerate by the Nazis – and listened and danced to it at great personal peril. Such a person in France was a Zazou, in Czechoslovakia a Potapky (ducking and diving like "great crested grebes") and in Germany and Austria a Schlurf – a taunting term of abuse for sluts and louts turned around.
Many disappeared or were imprisoned. Monica Ladurner's film Schlurf: With Swing Against The Goosestep (2006) is a recommended starting point for appreciating how dangerous jazz once was. Zazou meant far more than modishness.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments