What does la chanson noire mean?

"La chanson noire" is a French phrase that literally translates to "the black song". It is often used to refer to a genre of music that originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which was characterized by its use of African-American musical forms and rhythms, such as ragtime and blues. The term can also be used more broadly to refer to any type of music that has a dark, melancholy, or mournful tone.