Mardi Gras Indians by
One of the most dazzling elements of the MardiGras celebrations, the Mardi Gras Indians receive the attention and respect ofcarnival-goers for their elaborately beaded costumes and entertaining dances.But what few realize about the groups is that the parading is more than justfor show. Costuming, dancing, and all of the rituals of these groups are actsof cultural preservation that date back more than a century. In his new book,Michael P. Smith addresses the sociological issues surrounding the mislabeledand rarely understood Maroon groups now known as "Mardi GrasIndians." His textual analysis of the culture examines its African originsand how the participants help to develop the African-American culturalidentity. He looks at how some African-Americans resisted efforts to suppresstraditions that are re-emerging in modern society.Researched and documented by generations of oral and written history, thiswork clearly outlines the mistaken identification of the Mardi Gras Indians asjust an entertainment element of the carnival season. It also shows the vitalrole this traditional culture plays in the community, much as the blackSpiritual Churches do, in preserving an authentic base for the unique culturalheritage of blacks in New Orleans. This work illustrates how the Mardi GrasIndians are a part of the New Orleans second-line tradition.A dynamic element of this book is the collection of more than one hundredcolor photos. These prints capture the striking beauty of spectacles with apurpose far greater than entertaining. Combined with authoritative text bySmith, the visual images round out this examination of the roots of the MardiGras Indians and current practices of the whole range of African-Americancultural societies and parading groups in the Crescent City.Michael P. Smith is a native of New Orleans and an award-winningprofessional free-lance photographer. His special respect for the musical andcultural history of New Orleans has earned him the general trust of variousethnic groups he has documented and written about. Smith's work has beenpresented in the Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution inWashington, D.C., and numerous other museums in America and Europe. He hasreceived two Photographer's Fellowships from the National Endowment for theArts, and his prints have toured worldwide under the auspices of the UnitedStates Information Service. He is also the author of New Orleans JazzFest: A Pictorial History and Spirit World: Pattern in theExpressive Folk Culture of African-American New Orleans .
Call Number: GR 111 .A47 S65 1994
ISBN: 0882898965
Publication Date: 1994-03-31
Jazz Religion, the Second Line, and Black New Orleans, New Edition by Richard Brent Turner
An examination of the musical, religious, and political landscape of black New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina, this revised edition looks at how these factors play out in a new millennium of global apartheid. Richard Brent Turner explores the history and contemporary significance of second lines--the group of dancers who follow the first procession of church and club members, brass bands, and grand marshals in black New Orleans's jazz street parades. Here music and religion interplay, and Turner's study reveals how these identities and traditions from Haiti and West and Central Africa are reinterpreted. He also describes how second line participants create their own social space and become proficient in the arts of political disguise, resistance, and performance.
ISBN: 9780253025128
Publication Date: 2016-10-17
Maroon, Zarico, Liberty Street Blues From Films on Demand database -- Discover the music of New Orleans. Learn how folk music from Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean meld and evolve into today’s jazz. Documentary filmmaker Andre Gladu explores the Creole culture and its influence on modern music. Explore how the melodies of Zarico, the distinct folk music of the Black Francophone Creole culture of southwestern Louisiana, in turn influenced jazz, the blues and even rock. Celebrate the Rhythm and heartfelt joy of a people whose roots date back to the time of slavery, as they bring us to the heart of a unique cultural and musical tradition. On this tour of the birthplace of modern jazz, meet Michael White, university professor and clarinet player, as he takes his band through its paces and shares with us the soul of ragtime. Part two of the series Maroon, Zarico, Liberty Street Blues.
Tootie’s Last Suit by Pomegranate Productions
This documentary explores the complex relationships, rituals, history and music of New Orleans' vibrant Mardi Gras Indian culture, while telling the story of Allison "Tootie" Montana, former Chief of Yellow Pocahontas Hunters, famous for the inventiveness and beauty of his elaborately beaded Mardi Gras costumes. Interview subjects include Allison "Tootie" Montana, Jerome Smith, Joyce Montana, Cyril Neville, Darryl Montana, Rev. Goat Carson, Sabrina Montana, Maurice Martinez, Chelsi Montana, Wynton Marsalis, Victor Harris, Dr. John, Larry Bannock, Robert Farris Thompson, Collins E. Lewis, James Gill, Fred Johnson.
Call Number: F379 .N553 M577 2007 (DVD available in 2nd floor Media Dept.)
In the Spirit by Historic New Orleans Collection; Michael P. Smith; John H. Lawrence; Erin Greenwald
Call Number: TR647 .S575 2009
ISBN: 9780917860546
Publication Date: 2009-03-01