German Tango 1932: Paul Godwin Tanz Orch. - Niemand fragt uns [Nobody Asks Us]

Paul Godwin Tanz-Orchester - Niemand fragt uns [Nobody Asks Us] Tango (Gray-Reisch) a.d. Tonfilm „Die Gräfin von Monte Christo” mit deutschem Refraingesang, Grammophon 1932 (Germany)

NOTE: This is one of the last dance records released by Deutsche Grammophon with a dance piece led by the German/Polish/Jewish bandleader Paul Godwin. Born 1902 as Pinchas Goldfein in Sosnowiec, Upper Silesia (Poland), Godwin left Sosnowiec in his teen years and trained in violin playing at the Warsaw Conservatory. In the early 1920s he moved to Berlin to pursue a career as a jazz and dance musician. His dance band „Paul Godwin und sein Jazz-Symphonikern” gained enormous popularity in Berlin nightspots such as Femina, and he also recorded many records for Deutsche Grammophon with such well-known singers as Leo Monosson, Alfred Vogel or Franz Baumann. At the same time Godwin also led a smaller chamber music combo, which satisfied his need for classical music.

In Nov 1932, the NSDAP won a spectacular election victory. Hitler's party had 33% of the national vote - the most of any party. Germany elected Adolf as its leader for the next 13 years - with all the terrible consequences for Germany and the entire world. Artists of Jewish origin started to leave Germany, and those who made it time, such as Paul Godwin won their lives (Marek Weber, Efim Schachmeister, Dajos Bela and many others). In 1933 Godwin went to the Netherlands, where he managed to continue his successful presence on the music scene and survive World War II, although in Holland he abandoned the dance music genre and never returned to it. So, let us enjoy one of the last recordings of dance music made by Paul Godwin in Berlin.

The film is illustrated with selection of German music posters from the time.