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Join us at the Shop at the Collection from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 23, when author Sally McKee will sign copies of “The Exile's Song: Edmond Dédé and the Unfinished Revolutions of the Atlantic.”The book tells the extraordinary story of African American composer Edmond Dédé and his remarkable career in France. Beginning with his birth in antebellum New Orleans in 1827 and ending with his death in Paris in 1901, Sally McKee vividly recounts the life of this extraordinary man. From the Crescent City to the City of Light and on to the raucous music halls of Bordeaux, the intimate narrative history brings to life the lost world of exiles and travelers in a rapidly modernizing world that threatened to leave the most vulnerable behind.
After the book signing, cap off the evening with a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience. At 7:30 p.m. on January 23, Musical Louisiana will present the long-awaited world premiere of Edmond Dédé’s “Morgiane” (1887). This historic composition remains the earliest known surviving full-length opera written by a Black American composer. “Morgiane” has remained a hidden gem for over a century and yet to be heard—until now. A preconcert talk will take place at HNOC’s Williams Research Center at 5 p.m., and the concert will be held at St. Louis Cathedral at 7:30 p.m. Learn more: hnoc.org/musical-louisiana-2025
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Shop at The Collection, 520 Royal Street,New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
