Paul (Leroy) ROBESON (1898-1976)
His father was a slave who run away and became a preacher. He began his professional career as an actor, then he was active in the theater and in films.
He met Lawrence Brown, a pianist and an arranger, who was highly interested with negro spirituals. In 1925, their collaboration gave birth to a concert in New York, with a program consisting solely of negro spirituals. He lived in London in the 1930s, then came back to the US. He spent his last years in Harlem, New York.
Here are some of his negro spirituals “Go Down, Moses”, “Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho”, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, “Balm In Gilead”, “By ‘n’ By”