Today is a fantastic day.
Parades, people dancing in the streets, Brass bands playing wild tunes, beads flying through the air, Indian chief's dancing through the streets in feathered customs with their tribe, licor poring down people's throats, boobs being flashed.....
The most legendary carnival of carnival season, New Orleans Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday for those of us, who don't speak french, is today. Or as I like to refer to it: Do Watcha Wanna day:)
This is perhaps the most famous and popular Mardi Gras song, Mardi Gras in New Orleans by Professor Longhair.Professor Longhair, legendary Blues musician, is one of my all time favorite Blues artists. He actually has an interesting life story and how he got his unique style. Maybe I'll write about it, if there's any interest here.
Mardi Gras
Thousands and thousands of visitors flock to the city every year to celebrate this epic festival. The most popular carnival festival in the United States is infamous for it's wild and illustrious parades and parties on Bourbon Street. Brass marching bands play wild tunes and rhythms, beads get thrown around, beautiful women are flashing their boobs and whiskey is poring down peoples's throats like water through the streets after hurricane Katrina.
And yes all of that sounds amazing and I assume it is amazing, but New Orleans Mardi Gras is about much more than that. The music, the food the culture, the MUSIC man. New Orleans is THE place. This is where it all happened, this is where it all comes from.
New Orleans
The perhaps most unique city in all of the US, has an equally unique history that made the city what it is today. First a Spanish than a French colony, until it was sold by Napoleon to the US. For a city in the south, an area of the US traditionally racist, people of color have had to face less oppression than in other parts of the south.
New Orleans is maybe marked by the most unique mix of cultures and influences in the US. Something you can see in the architecture, taste in the food and hear in the music.
It was in New Orleans where the first fusion of European instrumentation, african chants and rhythms, Cuban and Latin music and native American music happened. Throw all of that together and you have yourself one of the most vibrant and original musical cultures on the planet.
Blues and Jazz
You might not guess it from my posts so far, but I am a huge Blues and Jazz fan. And lately listen to more and more Jazz. And it happened here in New Orleans, Americas by far greatest invention.....JAZZ music.
It is probably the most significant musical genre of the 20th century and in some form or another probably kick started or influenced every other significant modern genre, with the exception of electronic music maybe.
So put some Blues and Jazz music on, get yourself a bottle of Whiskey or make yourself a Sazerac or Hurricane, and enjoy a happy Mardi Gras day!!
This is another Mardi Gras Day favorite performed by Dr. John.
The Hot 8 Brass Band - Sexual Healing
Ramsey Lewis - Do Wath You Wanna
Champion Jack Dupree is another one of my favorite Blues musicians. In this song he talks about what a Mardi Gras day with the Indians looked like while he plays the piano.
The beginning of the TV series Treme created by David Simon, who is also creator the best TV show ever, The Wire.
If you're from New Orleans by any chance, please do comment and let me know how the festivities went. I would love to have some friends in New Orleans. I have been wanting to go there for years....well maybe next year.
Note: This article was written under the influence of whiskey and New Orleans music:)
