"every year, for Carnival time, we make a new suit"
Big Chief Bo Dollis of the Wild Magnolias
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned seeing the Mardi Gras Indians at Jazz Fest and promised to tell you something about them. They are an amazing part of New Orleans culture and an important part of black culture here. The MGI have been parading for Mardi Gras and St. Joseph's Eve (although no one seems to know anything about the St. Joseph's connection) for over a hundred years. The cultural influences are older than that, going back to the 1800's. During the times of slavery, the local Choctaw's and other tribes sheltered the escaped slaves and taught them how to live in the wild and that bond is still alive today. The costumes, songs and chants are a tribute to the Native American connection and are also strongly influenced by African and West Indies culture. As usual with almost anything in this town, it's a kind of gumbo, a mix of cultural ingredients resulting in a very rich tradition full of vibrant color, music and joy.
The music these guys make is a very big part of Mardi Gras. The members of the tribes make new songs and chants every year and a number of them have been recorded, going on to become MG standards. The quote at the top of the page is a good example; it's from a song by Chief Bo Dollis of the Wild Magnolias and when we hear it, we know that Mardi Gras is here, just like people elsewhere feel like it's Christmas when they hear a Christmas song. New Orleans sings it's holidays!
The tribes have members of various ranks. The first in line in the parade is Spy Boy who leads the parade and looks out for other tribes that they might run across as they move about the neighborhood. There has never been a planned route for these street parades. It's important to note here that up until the late 40's, when two tribes met on the street there was often violence and sometimes death, very much like street gangs today, but with a great deal of style. (The tribes with West Indies descendants and the tribes with African descendants were often in conflict, a sort of "uptown/downtown" thing, it seems.) A lot of the elements of street challenge are still there, but the violence is a thing of the past; today it's all about who has done the best costume work and who has the most style. When Spy Boy spots another tribe ahead, he signals to Flag Boy, who passes the message down the parade line through the Wild Men and finally, to the Big Chief who can send a signal back up to Spy Boy in the front. In this way, the Big Chief can control where the tribe goes, even when they are spread out over several blocks. All this information is passed along through the parade group by hand signals and chants.
Flag Boy and Big Chief
The costumes are incredible. They consist of many hand-beaded and hand-sewn panels, with most, if not all of the work being done by the guy who will wear the costume. It's very much a labor of love and dedication and very often the design for the next year is thought of before the present years costume hits the streets. The people who do this are really into doing it and have the support of many family members and friends. But in the end, the position they hold in the tribe is a matter of their own personal strength and character, and the costume is a physical representation of that.
These days the tribes meet on the streets one other time, for Super Sunday when they all parade together in harmony and show off their stuff. Like I said, it's an amazing culture; it comes out of the poorest neighborhoods of the city but it's incredibly rich in tradition and history. It's difficult to really tell you all about it; it's a very complex thing and so much of it comes from a long time ago. I've researched this over the years, (and if I have anything wrong, I apologize). I have known a few of the people involved, (there are gay men in these tribes, although I think it's not talked about...), but it is also in many ways a social group with it's own secrets and private ways. And that is as it should be.
I stopped working on this for a bit because the people in the big house next door were having a voodoo ceremony in their yard with drums and chanting! Incredible. Wonderful. Do you wonder why I love it here?
Other News
If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all. Don't want to go into it here, but things ain't right. No honey, no money... I ought to start a blues band.
Special thanks to all of you who have sent me e-mails this week. Ford, thanks for your tidal wav. file! And thank you, tejaz, you got to be one of the nicest guys out there...amigo.
durlx
Big Chief Bo Dollis of the Wild Magnolias
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned seeing the Mardi Gras Indians at Jazz Fest and promised to tell you something about them. They are an amazing part of New Orleans culture and an important part of black culture here. The MGI have been parading for Mardi Gras and St. Joseph's Eve (although no one seems to know anything about the St. Joseph's connection) for over a hundred years. The cultural influences are older than that, going back to the 1800's. During the times of slavery, the local Choctaw's and other tribes sheltered the escaped slaves and taught them how to live in the wild and that bond is still alive today. The costumes, songs and chants are a tribute to the Native American connection and are also strongly influenced by African and West Indies culture. As usual with almost anything in this town, it's a kind of gumbo, a mix of cultural ingredients resulting in a very rich tradition full of vibrant color, music and joy.
The music these guys make is a very big part of Mardi Gras. The members of the tribes make new songs and chants every year and a number of them have been recorded, going on to become MG standards. The quote at the top of the page is a good example; it's from a song by Chief Bo Dollis of the Wild Magnolias and when we hear it, we know that Mardi Gras is here, just like people elsewhere feel like it's Christmas when they hear a Christmas song. New Orleans sings it's holidays!
The tribes have members of various ranks. The first in line in the parade is Spy Boy who leads the parade and looks out for other tribes that they might run across as they move about the neighborhood. There has never been a planned route for these street parades. It's important to note here that up until the late 40's, when two tribes met on the street there was often violence and sometimes death, very much like street gangs today, but with a great deal of style. (The tribes with West Indies descendants and the tribes with African descendants were often in conflict, a sort of "uptown/downtown" thing, it seems.) A lot of the elements of street challenge are still there, but the violence is a thing of the past; today it's all about who has done the best costume work and who has the most style. When Spy Boy spots another tribe ahead, he signals to Flag Boy, who passes the message down the parade line through the Wild Men and finally, to the Big Chief who can send a signal back up to Spy Boy in the front. In this way, the Big Chief can control where the tribe goes, even when they are spread out over several blocks. All this information is passed along through the parade group by hand signals and chants.
Flag Boy and Big Chief
The costumes are incredible. They consist of many hand-beaded and hand-sewn panels, with most, if not all of the work being done by the guy who will wear the costume. It's very much a labor of love and dedication and very often the design for the next year is thought of before the present years costume hits the streets. The people who do this are really into doing it and have the support of many family members and friends. But in the end, the position they hold in the tribe is a matter of their own personal strength and character, and the costume is a physical representation of that.
These days the tribes meet on the streets one other time, for Super Sunday when they all parade together in harmony and show off their stuff. Like I said, it's an amazing culture; it comes out of the poorest neighborhoods of the city but it's incredibly rich in tradition and history. It's difficult to really tell you all about it; it's a very complex thing and so much of it comes from a long time ago. I've researched this over the years, (and if I have anything wrong, I apologize). I have known a few of the people involved, (there are gay men in these tribes, although I think it's not talked about...), but it is also in many ways a social group with it's own secrets and private ways. And that is as it should be.
I stopped working on this for a bit because the people in the big house next door were having a voodoo ceremony in their yard with drums and chanting! Incredible. Wonderful. Do you wonder why I love it here?
Other News
If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all. Don't want to go into it here, but things ain't right. No honey, no money... I ought to start a blues band.
Special thanks to all of you who have sent me e-mails this week. Ford, thanks for your tidal wav. file! And thank you, tejaz, you got to be one of the nicest guys out there...amigo.
durlx
posted by durlx at 5/24/2002 06:58:00 PM
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