Who Is Stellina Baker - Josephine Bakers Daughter?

May 2024 · 6 minute read

Stellina Baker is the adoptive daughter of Josephine Baker, the French-American singer, dancer, and actress.

Josephine adopted her Moroccan-born daughter and raised her alongside 11 other children who were equally adopted from all parts of the globe. Stellina was the youngest of the brood tagged “Rainbow Tribe,” and her only claim to fame is being associated with Josephine. However, after the entertainer’s death, nothing has been heard about Stellina and the other members of the Tribe.

Summary of Stellina Baker’s Biography

How Old is Stellina Baker?

The exact age of Stellina Baker is not known, as her date of birth has never been revealed. This grey area in her personal data is attributed to the fact that she was raised by her adoptive parent, Josephine Baker. According to reports, Stellina was born in Morocco, which makes her a Moroccan by nationality, and she is undoubtedly African.

Reports also said the woman that gave Stellina life was a friend of Josephine’s who abandoned her baby after birth, but her name or the name of her baby daddy has never been mentioned. Following her adoption by Josephine, Stellina became her 12th child and second daughter.

After her adoption, Stellina spent most of her years in France, though her family was always on the move for Josephine’s performances. It has never been mentioned, but Stellina acquired her academic qualifications in France, and it is not known whether she still identifies with her home country Morocco.

Who is Stellina Baker’s Mother, Josephine Baker?

Named Freda Josephine McDonald at birth, Josephine Baker was born on June 3rd, 1906, and her place of birth is captured as St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States. Josephine was the daughter of a washerwoman, Carrie McDonald, who always dreamed of ending up as a music-hall dancer. Her dad was a vaudeville drummer named Eddie Carson, who abandoned Carrie shortly after they welcomed Josephine.

Even though Carrie remarried and had other children, life was not so rosy for Josephine during her growing-up years. From the United States, Stellina Baker’s adoptive mother found her way to France, where she became quite successful as a singer, dancer, and actress.

Her career was primarily established in Europe and mostly France, which became her adoptive country. Josephine wrote her name in gold as the first Black woman to ever play the starring role in a major motion picture. She was the leading lady in the Mario Nalpas and Henri Étiévant-directed silent film entitled Siren of the Tropics in 1927.

Josephine’s singing and dancing career made her a heroine, and she toured all parts of the world for her performances. She is also listed as an author with the book, The Rainbow Tribe under her belt. The publication was actually a children’s book that she co-authored in 1957 alongside her then-husband, Jo Bouillon. It is considered to be an ode to openness and tolerance toward others.

Josephine was also a war veteran who served France in WWII as a spy. She was married four times before her demise in 1975 at age 68. Following her death, she was honored posthumously by the then France president President Emmanuel Macron who dubbed her “a war hero, fighter, singer, dancer; a Black woman defending fellow Black people but first, a woman defending humankind. French and American.”

Stellina Baker grew up with 11 Siblings

As earlier mentioned, Stellina Baker spent her formative years with a total of 11 siblings who were all adopted by Josephine Baker.

After she was done with WWII, the American-French entertainer wedded conductor Jo Bouillon, and when she remained childless in her forties, she decided to build a family of kids of all skin colors and went about raising them in what she described as brotherhood and universalism.

Following her trip to Japan in 1954, Josephine returned to France with two children, Akio and Teruya (he was later renamed Janot). From Finland, she brought home Jari, and Luis came from Columbia. Jean-Claude and Moïse were the two French kids she adopted out of the country’s welfare system.

In 1956, the veteran singer and her husband adopted two more children into their brood; Brahim (later called Brian) was the son of Berber parents, and Josephine’s first daughter, Marianne, was born to French parents.

The following year in 1957, Stellina Baker brought home an Ivorian baby named Koffi. From Venezuela, she adopted Mara, and Noel followed after he was discovered in Pakistan abandoned in a crib during Christmas.

Stellina followed a few years later from Morocco as the 12th child of Josephine and her husband number four, Jo Bouillon.

The French-American entertainer dubbed her brood “Rainbow Tribe” and raised them in the château located in Dordogne, France. She assigned different heritage and religion to each of them to follow – Janot was Buddhist, Koffi animist, Jari Protestant, Moïse Jewish, and so forth.

When Josephine died in 1975, Stellina Baker, who was the youngest, was just 11 and living with the singer while the other children were already in their 20s. However, she still managed to survive despite all odds.

What Does Josephine Baker’s Daughter, Stellina, do for a Living?

Since she has never been a mainstream celebrity, Stellina Baker’s career life has never attracted public attention. Thus, it is difficult to say exactly what she does to put food on the table.

However, when the Rainbow tribe was still living with their mum, Josephine Baker, the French-American entertainer turned the Château des Milandes estate, where they lived, into a tourist center, and it became a living tribute to brotherhood/comradeship.

The tourist center was making a lot of money as it hosted over 300,000 visitors on an annual basis during the late 1950s. The visitors were allowed to walk the grounds and have a feel of how happy and contented the kids were.

Alongside other members of the Rainbow Tribe, Stellina also had some on-the-road gigs when their adoptive mother would take them on tours. They would be showcased to audiences, and would sing and dance for them.

Where is Stellina Baker Now?

Since the death of Josephine Baker, the media has not been keen on following her Rainbow Tribe. Thus, nothing is known about Stellina Baker and all her siblings. Reports said eight out of 12 of them are now living with their own families, but none have emulated their mum by adopting children. However, it is not known whether Stellina is among the eight that have families.

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