{"id":44633,"date":"2020-05-21T16:54:17","date_gmt":"2020-05-21T16:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=44633"},"modified":"2021-12-19T06:52:05","modified_gmt":"2021-12-19T06:52:05","slug":"big-cheeks-by-des-kelly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/big-cheeks-by-des-kelly\/","title":{"rendered":"BIG CHEEKS \u2013 By Des Kelly"},"content":{"rendered":"

BIG CHEEKS \u2013 By Des Kelly<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Every now and then, they appear, seemingly out of nowhere, multi-talented individuals who come into our lives\u00a0 for no other reason other than to enhance what might well be a drab existence, otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Big Cheeks happens to be one such Character.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not having written this very interesting story about this one, and also because the author is unknown, I can only say that it was sent to eLanka for publication, by our good friend Charles Schokman. Thank you, Charles, I am sure all our readers will play the old “guessing game” even as they read these extra special facts about Big Cheeks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Desmond<\/p>\n

\u00a0Desmond Kelly.<\/span>
\n\u00a0(Editor-in-Chief) eLanka.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Big cheeks. A grandson of slaves, a boy was born in a poor\u00a0neighborhood\u00a0of New Orleans\u00a0<\/span>
\nknown as the “Back of Town.”\u00a0 His father abandoned the family when the child was an infant\u00a0<\/span>
\nHis mother became a prostitute and the boy and his sister had to live with their grandmother.<\/span><\/p>\n

Early in life he proved to be gifted for music and with three other kids he sang in the streets\u00a0<\/span>
\nof New Orleans. His first gains were coins that were thrown to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0A Jewish family, Karnofsky, who had emigrated from Lithuania to the USA, had pity for the\u00a0<\/span>
\n7-year-old boy and brought him into their home. Initially giving ‘work’ in the house, to feed\u00a0<\/span>
\nthis hungry child. There he remained and slept in this Jewish family’s home where, for the\u00a0<\/span>
\nfirst time in his life, he was treated with kindness and tenderness.<\/span><\/p>\n

When he went to bed, Mrs. Karnovsky sang him a Russian lullaby that he would sing with\u00a0<\/span>
\nher. Later, he learned to sing and play several Russian and Jewish songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Over time, this boy became the adopted son of this family. The Karnofskys gave him money\u00a0<\/span>
\nto buy his first musical instrument, as was the custom in the Jewish families.<\/span><\/p>\n

They sincerely admired his musical talent. Later, when he became a professional musician and\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

composer, he used these Jewish melodies in compositions, such as St. James Infirmary and\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Go Down Moses.<\/span><\/p>\n

The little black boy grew up and wrote a book about this Jewish family who had adopted him in 1907. \u00a0<\/span>
\nIn memory of this family and until the end of his life, he wore a Star of David and said that in this family,\u00a0<\/span>
\nhe had learned “how to live real life and determination.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>
\nYou might recognize his name.\u00a0 This little boy was called: Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Louis Armstrong proudly spoke fluent Yiddish!\u00a0 And “Satchmo” is Yiddish for “Big Cheeks”!!!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0And I’ll bet you did not know any of this.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n