Myrtle Watkins

Early life

Myrtle Watkins, originally born, Myrtle Dillard in Boston, Massachusetts in June 1908 to Jasper Dillard and Betty Lane, first appears around 1925, 16 years old in Baltimore as a dancer with her partner Yank Brunson. The Baltimore Afro-American Newspaper described her as a local entertainer. Eventually, in late 1925, she joins Eddie Lemon's Stock Company, appearing at the Regent Theater's revue "Who Dat?". Early 1926, after Eddie Lemon left for Philadelphia, she remained at the Regent as part of the cast of Lew Peyton's Brownskin Vamps, where she appeared in her own solo number dancing the Charleston. During this time, Myrtle met and married local mechanic, Cephus Watkins; however the marriage ended shortly afterwards. The following month, she was entertaining at the 'all-white' Folly Cabaret in East Baltimore, her Charleston had caught on immensely with its patrons. In 1927, she toured the Boston area with the Bostonian Harmony Lads singing light blues, where she wrote in the Afro-American that she missed Baltimore.

Arrival in Europe

During the winter of 1928, she joined the cast of the 2nd version of Lew Leslie's Blackbirds during the Boston auditions. She eventually met Eddie Thompson, one of the show's leading dancers and part of the duo Worthy & Thompson. Myrtle and Eddie returned briefly to New York (Feb.4 1929) to marry, another brief marriage. Blackbirds continued touring the Eastern US until May 31, when the troupe boarded the SS Ile de France for France. There they played three months the Moulin Rouge, before the French director renovated the Moulin into a cinema. The show opened on June 7 and was a sensation. Some of France’s top stars attended, including Mistinguett and Maurice Chevalier. Adelaide Hall was the star attraction, and replacing Bill Bojangles Robinson in this version were, John Worthy and Ed Thompson. “People would recognize us," recalls Elisabeth Welch “Oh your from Blackbirds, would you sing for us?” So we would sing a song. That’s how I got to know Louis Moyses who owned the popular nightclub Boeuf Sur Le Toit. He was adorable. He said “If you ever want a job, you must come to your grandmama.” He called himself my grandmama. It was marvelous.” Blackbirds returned to New York to briefly tour the East Coast again in September, but its return coincided with the famous Wall-Street Crash and there was no work. Myrtle returned to France around January 1930, one of the scores of African-American performers who had moved to Europe to escape the racism of the US and to trade on the French fascination for “negro” culture. She began working at the famous supper clubs, Boeuf Sur le Toit and Chez Florence with Elisabeth Welch. They danced in long orange satin gowns designed by Jean Patou and lifting their skirts to reveal their long legs. In May, they were appearing in the chorus of the Embassy cabaret floor-show Hot-Stuff which was advertised as, Harlem aux Champs-Elysees. Directed by S.H. Dudley Jr., the show included Louis Cole, El Brown, comic Snow Fisher and much of the remaining cast of Blackbirds. The show ran for a successful month, even appearing in Deauville. At one point, she was briefly the dance partners with the Senegalese Folies-Bergere star, Feral Benga. A while later, she appeared again at the Embassy with the show Ebony Follies. By late 1930, Most of the cast at the Embassy had already returned to Harlem, Myrtle disappears also, eventually making her way instead for Spain.

Spain (1930-1933)

Early 1931, Myrtle appeared in Madrid's Lido Cabaret with Red Hot Coals Jazz Orchestra. She might have been invited by famous Spanish author and lyricist, Alvaro Retana, who was known to introduce black jazz musicians into Spain. Retana mentioned that Mytle performed semi-nude, imitating the Spanish dancer Carmen Tortola Valencia, under the name Perla de Oriente. In April, the show stopped as the Spanish monarchy came an end. King Alfonso XIII had abdicated his throne peacefully and boarded a train to Paris for exile, celebrations filled the streets across Spain. Her appearances were a large success and instead of returning to Paris, signed a contract in June for the Ideal-Rosales Cabaret a few blocks away. It can be occasionally difficult to find where she was performing, as her name was constantly misspelled. Appearing with her at the cabaret was Argentine singer-guitarist Alfredo Marino and his partner, Hector Morel. During the summer, the trio packed up for a tour of northern Spain. While in San Sebastián, the director took the cast of the show down to the beach, where reporters remarked seeing Myrtle as a black Venus emerging from the waters. Upon returning to Madrid, she appeared at the Alcazar-Dancing in a large variety show, with Morel & Morino, occasionally joining Harry Flemming and his band in the Jardin Retiro. She later moved onto the Casanova En Stambul and the Teatro-Circo Price. Late October, she left for Barcelona to appear at the Eden Concert, Circo Barcelones and Buena Sombra music hall for the winter. While there, she worked closely with the Afro-Uruguayan singer Caruso Negro (Oscar Rorra). She also recorded several songs with the Barcelona Compañía del Gramófono.

In the spring of 1932, after a brief appearance in Valencia, she returned to Madrid to join Louis Douglas and his revue at the Lido de Madrid. At the same time, she also appeared with Spanish revue-star Perlita Greco at the Teatro Fuencarral. The revue was revised and re-opened in the summer with the title Modern Melodies at the Teatro Avenida with Myrtle dancing in front of the band in a costume with red feathers swinging on her backside. One visiting journalist for the Afro-American described her as the Josephine Baker of Spain: “Miss Watkins is a very good dancer, with plenty of pep, and a pretty shapely figure. She is making conquests in high society and on her string is the marquis of one of Spain’s bluest blue bloods. She lives at the Hotel Florida, one of the best hotels in the city, has a fine roadster, records for Spanish gramophone and radio, and entertains at one of the leading cabarets.” In July, after the revue closed, Myrtle appeared at the Florida Bar in Zaragoza and the Cine Odeon in Huesca with Cuban saxophonist, El Negro Aquilino and his troupe. Returning to Madrid in October, Myrtle appeared in a show that might have been filmed, Movietone 1933 with Perlita Greco and Scrappy Jones (from Douglas’s revue). Shortly after, Myrtle joined Louis Douglas on a tour of Italy. Myrtle soon left the tour in March to appear in Seville , Spain. In June 1933, she was in Belgium with the bandleader Robert de Kers. While there, she recorded a new song, Lonely Brown Rose and appeared on the front of Belgian magazines alongside Josephine Baker. In September, while in Barcelona, she appeared at the Teatro Romea, Jazz-Show organized by Italian Impresario Max Guido. The show was a huge success and Myrtle was recognized as Spain’s latest vedette. In November, she moved over to the Pompeya Musichall where she danced all evening, and then after midnight would climb downstairs and sing at the Hollywood nightclub which would be broadcast over the radio. In the winter she appeared at the exclusive Casa Llibre Tea Rooms singing for some of Spain’s elite. That winter, Myrtle accompanied by pianist Tommy ‘Puss’ Chase and his band for a tour of the southern coast of France. “Myrtle was a very enterprising, always had some kind of band with her, and was a very good looking and talented singer and dancer.” They travelled to Cannes, Nice and ended in Monaco during the Rallye Monte Carlo.

European Tour (1934-1936)

During the spring of 1934, Bricktop postponed the opening of her new club until Myrtle arrived, advertised as The world’s most fascinating entertainer. She brought success and large crowds to Bricktop's-Monico, but decided to move on to the Basque Bar in June with Afro-British entertainer Evelyn Dove. While in Paris, Myrtle arranged to travel to London at the Granada Theatre in an ‘all-colored’ revue, Black Scandals. On July 2, 1934, the show ran for a successful week. The films shown that week on the manager’s weekly report states that both films were rather weak, and had it not been for the stage show, the takings would have been down. The revue was advertised as ‘The Greatest Colored stage show in all of Europe.’ In August, she was in The Hague dancing at the Palais de Danse cabaret before returning to London in November. Early 1935, she returned to Paris at the Melody-Bar with the Afro-American tenor, Opal Cooper. While there, she learned her estranged husband Eddie was ill with stomach cancer and had to halt his career while recovering in hospital. In March, she left for Berlin to appear in a film before returning in May, appearing at the Boeuf Sur Le Toit with Leon Abbey's orchestra. While touring Belgium again during the late summer, Leon Abbey arranged for Myrtle and his orchestra to appear for six months in Bombay, India. After boarding a ship in Venice, arrived in Bombay early October, where they quickly realized they didn't have the proper work permits. Later joined by Opal Cooper, the group appeared at the Taj Mahal Hotel and Green's Ballroom next door with much success. By December, however, Myrtle was laid low by a terrible bout of malaria. During her stay, she was introduced to a handsome Malaysian cricket player, Lall Singh, who was smitten with this new popular jazz artist in India. By the spring of 1936, Lall took a short break from cricket and returned to Europe with Myrtle, now working as her theatrical agent. Soon after, the couple quickly wed and Myrtle began wearing a sari and practicing Hinduism alongside her new husband. Around this time, her former husband in Harlem died of Stomach Cancer. During the following months, Myrtle appeared in Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia and finally ended the tour in Budapest, Hungary in a revue at the famous Arizona cabaret.

Transition into Paquita (1937-1940)

Arriving back in Paris the spring of 1937 in time for the opening of the Exposition Internationale, Myrtle appeared at Le Grand Jeu Cabaret and the George V Restaurant where she held live-radio appearances and performed for every visiting dignitary and royalty at the Exposition. She was soon accompanied by Samuel Bonifacio Zarate, a Mexican violinist popular among French audiences for his virtuoso violin skills. He worked with Carlos Chávez's Sinfónica de Mexico at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and graduated from the Mexican National Conservatory, where he was a disciple of Luis G. Saloma. He earned a scholarship from the Mexican government and studied in Paris at the l'Ecole Normale Superieur (1932-1937). Earlier in the spring, he won the first prize at the International Violin Competition. To make ends meet, he entertained whenever possible, often with the Mexican-American Vedette, Reva Reyes. On one occasion, he was hired to entertain royalty at the George V restaurant. There he met Myrtle, who soon took on the name Paquita, and quickly became a musical team. In September, they moved over to the Pavillon-Elysees and spent the winter at the Villa d’Este cabaret. In June 1938, Adelaide Hall left for London, leaving behind her cabaret, the Big Apple Club. Myrtle became the club’s main attraction while Bricktop ran the finances of the club. But Bricktop was no good in keeping the accounts straight, her temper was even worse, and soon the cabaret shut down that winter. Before the club fell apart, Myrtle returned to the Villa d’Este in September. In December, she appeared in Harlem au Coliseum at the Paris-Coliseum alongside other artists, such as her new partner Samuel Zarate and Zaidee Jackson. She later opened at the new Park-Lane Club with Louis Armstrong & his Cuban American orchestra. During the summer of 1939, while Myrtle and Zarate toured the Baltic coast, where her German films did so well, when the atmosphere suddenly grew dark in Europe. Posters appeared across everywhere “Because of the aggressive attitude of the German government, France and the United Kingdom has declared a general mobilization." In August, she was in Poland appearing on Radio-Warsaw. A few weeks later, Polish musician, Stanley Laudan invited Myrtle to, La Bagatelle, his club in Katowice. On September 1, World War II started as Nazi troops quickly seized Poland. As Poland underwent military mobilization to defend itself, she was able to get documents to flee back to Paris. Upon arriving, Lall decided to renew his cricket contract and return to Malaysia and at some point couple probably decided to divorce in November. Soon as danger was at her doorstep again as the Germans turned their attentions on France early 1940.

India (1941-1943)

Danger was again at their doorstep as the Germans turned their attentions on France early 1940, Paquita and Zarate departed for a Middle Eastern tour, travelling across Egypt and Iraq during the early years of the war. By the summer of 1941, they made their way into India, with major success in Lahore’s Stiffle Hotel as well as Bombay’s Taj Mahal and Green's Hotels. This attracted the attention from Calcutta’s Grand Hotel which housed the popular American jazz musician, Teddy Weatherford, whom she met briefly in 1937 and who had just arrived from Ceylon and was now the music director of the hotel’s ballroom. In November, the Grand Ballroom floor-show featured Myrtle dancing and singing Latin American numbers. She was soon broadcast over Indian radio and Myrtle recorded the numbers from the show with the Indian Columbia records, so the audience could enjoy her performance at home. In January 1942, Japanese troops occupied Kuala Lumpur. Lall Singh was seized and placed in a work camp with his brother, BS Gill (who eventually died) until the country was liberated in August 1945. Starting in Calcutta, the Quit India movement swept across the country, with protesters demanding independence from British rule. Myrtle obtained an American passport during the summer with plans of leaving the country before things got too bad. Soon the bliss of India was gone when Japanese planes were bombing Calcutta in early 1943, which was followed with a large famine all across India. Dead animals littered the street, starving children begged for food, half bombed buildings. The Grand Hotel became flooded with soldiers, and her shows were used to boost troop morale.

Mexico & Return to the United States (1944-1949)

Decided it might be time to move on, Myrtle and Zarate now newly engaged, boarded the USS Hermitage, accompanied with Polish refugees, for California, arriving in San Pedro in during the summer of 1943. California was stirring with chaos as the Zoot Suit Riots broke out across the West Coast. Arriving in Los Angeles, the couple travelled south to Mexico to Zarate’s hometown, El Oro to spend times with his numerous relatives. After a while in Mexico, they returned to Los Angeles, because it offered more opportunities in the entertainment field. Paquita also began informing everyone that she was an Indian princess of the Brahman caste sent by her parents to study in Europe, a story probably developed to prevent racial issues she would have received as a African-American artist. On January 6, 1944, the couple married quietly in Seattle. In 1945, Lall Singh had been released after four years in a Japanese internment camp and was in training to return to cricket playing. ‘Zarate & Paquita’ took their show was taken across California, the Western & Southwestern United States, Hawaii, Alaska, Australia and Mexico. They played with big names across the US, including Liberace. Her performances usually began with Zarate playing classical violin and viola numbers in the first half and in the second half when Paquita would join Zarate on the drums, dancing in a frenzy dressed in elegant gowns and singing songs from around the world in 5 different languages. They were regular entertainers around Reno, Salt Lake City, San Jose and Eugene, Oregon. They soon purchased a mobile home, in Evanston, Wyoming along Interstate-80 near Salt Lake City, with access to Utah, Nevada and California. During the summer of 1947, they performed at the Bastille Day celebrations in Reno for the French Consul.

Later Career and Death (1950-1968)

Around the early 50s, during a show in Chicago, a strong wind nearly blew their mobile home, in Evanston, Wyoming along Interstate-80 near Salt Lake City off the road. Cancelling their appearance, they returned to California and bought a house in Hollywood, confining their travels to the West Coast. In 1952, Zarate filed for American neutrality so could establish himself more in the United States. Zarate took up contracts from numerous recording companies. Zarate and Myrtle’s records sold well across the Western United States and Mexico. They were soon making appearances on American radio and television. In 1957, Zarate opened his own music recording company, ZARPAC, based in both Los Angeles and Portland. They recorded more than before, nearly a dozen recordings a year. Myrtle became known in performing foreign songs and also experimented in different genres, such as Calypso, which had become popular during the early-1950s. The following year, they released a religious album, each song dedicated to different religions across the world such as Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. In 1959, they performed in a year-long spectacle at the Lamplighter Lounge in Corvallis, Oregon. Myrtle and Zarate performed numerous songs and dances from different parts of the world. By the early 1960s, they began frequently touring the central Oregon coast under contract to one of the largest nightclubs in Portland. The owner of a new motel and lounge complex in Depoe Bay, Oregon wanted them to entertain there on a part-time basis. On their first visit, Zarate saw a ‘For-Sale’ sign on two concrete oxen standing outside a small green house called Trails End on six acres of brushland between Lincoln City and Depoe Bay. He suggested they buy it, but Myrtle suggested otherwise, “Yes, here in the middle of nowhere.” The sign was still there upon their second visit and Zarate and Myrtle bought the property in 1962. They built a new house and had the oxen separated and placed on either end of the driveway that loops off Highway 101. They built a studio, so Zarate could teach violin, guitar, piano, flute and organ - instruments had mastered over the years. Myrtle gave lessons in dance and numerous languages. There was also an adjoining restaurant, The Gingerbread House providing traditional Mexican and Indian cuisine; Children were permitted without charge to encourage more students and guests. A number of students enrolled at the Happy Village Cultural Center.

But the institution wasn’t profitable, especially as Myrtle became too involved with the children, and it hurt her health, which was already debilitated by diabetes. To continue running things, they made numerous appearances over the years at the popular Amato’s Supper Club and at the King Surf Beach Resort’s Pagan Hut restaurant. Zarate performed at weddings across Oregon, and both entertained at gatherings hosted by elite of the west coast. This helped bring money to continue running things back at their small estate. During the spring of 1962, in Wecoma Beach (now Lincoln City) they appeared in an International Music Recital where Myrtle and Zarate presented their varied repertoires of dances and songs in numerous languages and instruments. Myrtle’s stage appearances became very minimal for many years afterwards, except for the annual appearances in Mexico during the spring and winter. After 1965, They also began appearing annually at the Salishan Bar & Grill. Myrtle watched as cars went faster and faster by their home, and it troubled her to think that people were in such a hurry. She wanted to give them a place where they could pull over for a few minutes and “give their souls a chance to catch up with them.” Zarate wanted to wait until her health improved, so they could build it together. Myrtle ‘Paquita’ Zarate died on November 10, 1968 of diabetic complications. Zarate immediately built a small white chapel on the property among the pines he planted in honor of Myrtle, and hardly left except to visit relatives in Mexico during the winter. The Fine Arts School continued running, but doesn't seem to have drew many students as they had before her death. Samuel Zarate continued performing across the Oregon and Mexico until his death in 1997.