Mardi Gras – The Musical Heritage and History

New Orleans is a city renowned for its cultural contributions. A friend of mine described it with a smart comparison: “New Orleans is to New York what Bristol is to London” – a colourful, creative city rich in history and art, with less of a “business hub” vibe than their cosmopolitan counterpart. Its Creole and Cajun-inspired cuisine, musical innovations and famous festivals are known all over the world. One of its most popular staples is Mardi Gras – the biggest celebration in New Orleans, known for its spectacular parades, colourful costumes of masks, feathers and sequins, and its energetic marching band music.

The festivities start on January 6 until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras itself translates as ‘Fat Tuesday, the final day of indulgence for Christians before giving up certain foods for Lent. The largest celebrations usually occur in the final two weeks before this day.

There is a deep sonic history that has helped shape the parade into one of the most vibrant and iconic events around the world. From jazz to funk to bounce music, this yearly party has left its mark on the genres that we hear today. Join us in taking a look at the musical history and heritage of Mardi Gras!

EARLY MUSIC – HAVING A BALL AND JOINING THE KREWE 

Before Mardi Gras had come to be, New Orleans had a thriving scene for music and dance. By the 1800’s, elegant balls and galas were frequent fixtures for a night of entertainment. Societies and “krewes” began to form as social organizations of upper-class citizens. They would organize street festivities and masked balls inspired by European royal pageantry, including kings, queens, and royal courts. Music played a key part in this – classical and orchestral pieces accompanied each moment from the royal entrance to the waltzes.

Those who couldn’t attend the exclusive balls still held holiday festivities in their own ways. Though people had celebrated Mardi Gras and Carnival traditions in Louisiana since the 1700s, the first street processions took place in the 1830s, with revellers donning masks to escape social hierarchies. There was an eclectic mix of musical influences from the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and Native Americans. Brass bands would become the most prominent performers, playing a mix of military marches, African rhythms, and ragtime.

Many of the wealthier parading krewes began seeking brass bands to play during their parades, including second line music, where the crowds would follow the various bands with call-and-response routines. This became the leading Carnival sound, along with rhythm and blues and zydeco.

THE MARDI GRAS INDIANS

Throughout its early history, there were elements of Mardi Gras that were inaccessible and intolerant to the black community. There was still deep racial segregation and exclusion during the 1800s. So they resorted to making their own traditions – one of these was the Mardi Gras Indians. As far back as the late 19th century, Black American parade-goers would wear masks and dress in traditional Native American attire during the festival, paying homage to the indigenous Americans who provided refuge and formed alliances with runaway slaves before them. “That’s us saying thank you for helping us, and it’s done with pride,” says Dr Maurice Martinez, a historian who has chronicled the relationship between Blacks and Indians in New Orleans.

Their performers used chanting, drumming, tambourines, cowbells, and even sticks and soda bottles to make their rousing, unifying music. The tradition still lasts to this day, with revellers dressing in beautiful regalia, blending elements of Native and African heritage and singing their classic Carnival chants.

THE ZULUS AND KING LOUIS

Standing against the racism and exclusion of the earlier Mardi Gras parades, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club was created. Founded by working-class black laborers in 1909, it provided an alternative space for black New Orleanians, where they could bring the celebrations to their communities, free from the control of the white elites.

In response to the royalist, pompous pageantry of the elite white krewes, the club would elect its own “King Zulu” every year to ride on the lead float. Wearing exaggerated royal attire complete with a lard can crown, the King was made to satirize the traditions of those that rejected them.

Already known as the “King of Jazz” for his innovations as a soloist and mainstream popularity, there was another throne that Louis Armstrong longed for – speaking to Time magazine, he shared that “There’s a thing I’ve dreamed of all my life, and I’ll be damned if it don’t look like it’s about to come true – to be King of the Zulus’ parade. After that, I’ll be ready to die.” A NOLA native, he grew up watching the Mardi Gras processions, longing to lead the crowd one day. He fulfilled his fantasy on Mardi Gras Day 1949. Returning to his hometown, he was clad in customary costume, ruling over as the ceremonial “King Zulu” for the day.

Louis Armstrong

With a heart full of pride for his hometown, he told the crowd along the parade route: “Nothin’ like this nowhere else in this world. Man, this is my town. This is the greatest city in the whole wide world!” 

Armstrong’s appearance was seen around the world, and the jazz superstar brought a buzz of exposure to New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. As well as setting a new standard for celebrity involvement in the proceedings, it also inspired a wave of songs paying tribute to the Carnival, like “Mardi Gras In New Orleans” by Professor Longhair – this helped to launch the concept of Mardi Gras music as its own eclectic genre.

In the following years, New Orleans artists would put out several songs showcasing the eclectic range of music at Mardi Gras, from jazz to rhythm and blues to mambo. The 60s and 70s would see the “golden era” of Mardi Gras music, with the release of seasonal staples like “Carnival Time”, “Big Chief” and “Street Parade”. Some different groups, or ‘tribes’ of Mardi Gras Indians would also go on to release commercial recordings, such as the Wild Magnolias with ‘Handa Wanda’, merging their festive arrangements with funk flavours.

 

MARDI GRAS’ INFLUENCE ON MODERN MUSIC

At the prized parades of New Orleans, you’ll hear everything from jazz, zydeco, funk, R&B and hip-hop. Popular Mardi Gras songs like “When the Saints Go Marching In” and Professor Longhair’s “Go to the Mardi Gras” are staples that you’ll hear every year. Brass bands are still an essential, energetic part of the processions, keeping spirits high with their second-line sing-a-longs and groovy arrangements. High-profile artists from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, soul icons Kool and The Gang, and hip-hop heroes The Roots and T-Pain have also performed at the event, continuing Louis’ legacy of star participation.

The Mardi Gras Indians contributed to the creation of jazz in New Orleans, with several musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Lee Collins claiming influence from the processions. Pianist, bandleader, and jazz’s first arranger, Jelly Roll Morton, even claimed to be a “spyboy”, or scout, for one of the Indian groups during his teens.

As well as contributing to the early environment of jazz music, the bumping beats and syncopated rhythms of the street music would influence the pioneers of New Orleans funk, like The Meters and The Neville Brothers. Their bouncing blend of R&B, soul and jazz would set the foundation for the funk revolution to flourish in the 60s and 70s.

The brass bands and Mardi Gras Indians were also an inspiration for the regional hip-hop subgenre of New Orleans, bounce music. If you listen to the rolling percussion and call-and-response lyrics of DJ Jubilee’s “Get Ready, Ready”, you can hear the soul and textures of traditions from the street party music of Mardi Gras.

MODERN MUSIC

Everything from the rock and roll sounds of Chuck Berry, to the New Orleans Bounce music of Big Freeda, Juvenile, and Lil Wayne – they’re all inspired by the second-line rhythms,” says Melvin Villaver Jr, an assistant professor of audio technology and global black studies, in an interview with Fox News.

In more recent years, artists from NOLA’s own Frank Ocean to Beyonce have referenced Mardi Gras in their music and videos, like Bey’s New Orleans-themed “Formation” video featuring carnival costumes, brass bands and a festive marching crowd. The power of the parade has even been recognized at the Grammys – both local acts, the Rebirth Brass Band and Mardi Gras Indian funk band Cha Wa, have won awards in the Best Regional Roots Music category.

All in All, the Musical Heritage and History of Mardi Gras has Persevered Through Hundreds of Years…

Proving a vital element to the city’s cultural landscape, helping to develop older musical movements as well as manifesting in modern sounds that we hear today.

The jubilant jams of the street performers capture the character of a city steeped in musical heritage and history, remembering its past of revelry and rebellion. As it has before, Mardi Gras and its music will live on through New Orleans’s carnival and its inspired performers – no matter the weather, you can’t rain on this parade!