Carnival New Orleans News
News and information from the New Orleans area
Mardi Gras "Royalty" Reign Over Balls
017 years
by NewOrleansMusicMan
in Mardi Gras
The traditional Mardi Gras ball is venerable institution in Carnival society, often following a stylized routine that began well over a century ago. For many years, the balls of older Krewes took place in the Municipal Auditorium. Since Hurricane Katrina, the Morris F.X. Jeff, Sr. Municipal Auditorium still festers un-renovated, even though next door, the Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts has been restored beautifully. For 2009, Rex will hold its ball in the Sheraton Hotel on Canal Street in the French Quarter.
Most balls are slated to begin at 9 pm and valets often with years of experience, help the riders with their change of clothes. Many Krewes have to hurry because there is only a short period of time between the end of the parade and the start of the ball.
Receiving an invitation to a Krewe ball, especially an old line club like Rex or Comus, is a social coup of major proportions, as there are only a very limited number of invitations and attendance is by invitation only. There are two levels of guests, those whose invitations specifies balcony seating and those who are spectators only; those who have a “callout” card enclosed in their invitation have floor seating and are allowed to dance as they are “called out” by members of the Krewe. This procedure is rigidly set in tradition. As a Krewe member decides on a dance partner he whispers her name to a “committeeman” who then escorts the lady to the floor. A favor is customarily given to the lady by the Krewe member after the first dance.
The primary reason for holding a traditional ball, however, is not dancing. The highlight of the ball is the tableau; the auditorium is decorated, often lavishly, and the King and Queen are seated on the dais “reigning” over the proceedings. The court is then presented in an elaborate pageant. Drinking is not allowed on the floor of the tableau balls although refreshments are usually available backstage. The festivities are usually over by midnight.
Tradition is changing, somewhat, as newer Krewes have more interest in socializing and less in tableaux presentations. Dinner dances, potluck and cocktail parties have gained in popularity, and a few large Krewes such as Bacchus, Zulu, Orpheus, and Endymion stage huge extravaganzas with national entertainment. Even Rex has changed, allowing all guests onto the dance floor after a specified time.
The culmination of the traditional ball season is the meeting of Rex and Comus at midnight, an impressive fitting and fitting close to Carnival festivities. (more…)
Hail MUSES, Mardi Gras Throw Innovator
017 years
by NewOrleansMusicMan
in Mardi Gras
Throw innovation is only one of the games of Muses, the largest and baddest of all the woman’s krewes. In their prime in the mid 1980s, Shangri La in Chalmette was a mighty all-female krewe, with over 1,000 members. However, their membership declined since Katrina, and chose not to parade in 2009.
Muses began parading as an all-female krewe in 2001. Staci Rosenberg is founder and captain of Muses. In just eight short years, Muses is at the absolute top of the New Orleans krewes in terms of creativity and numbers of throws. No other krewe comes close to matching the depth and breadth of their throws. They also are one of the largest krewes in terms of membership, with 1,500 members.
Muse’s personalized throws from last year, 2008 (incomplete list): oversized logo powder puff, working lava lamp key chain, Muse comic book ( “SuperMuse”), full size decorated woman’s shoes, shoe medallion bracelets, roller skate medallions, Muses LED-Fan, Muses glitter stick-on fashion accessory, lighted shoe medallions, Muses Night Fever (parade theme), lighted medallion, plastic crystal lighted heart medallion, soft spear, headband, disco ball medallion, song spoofs and lyrics booklet, regular logo beads, and more. Here’s a link to a really cool U-Tube video we shot of a 2009 Muses LED-FAN throw Muses LED-Fan
No other krewe comes close to the number and variety of personalized throws that Muses throws. I’ve seen the short published list of new throws for 2009, and I’m sure it is very incomplete. Muses do not publish their full list before the parade.
R&B CARNIVAL MUSIC
017 years
Carnival music adds considerable excitement to the festivities. All the major activities of the Carnival season: parades, balls, and parties make heavy use of music.
Probably the most popular songs of Carnival, revived annually on jukeboxes, the internet, and across the radio dial, are Rhythm and Blues Carnival Tunes performed by Professor Longhair, Al Johnson, and the Hawketts (also Hawkettes).
Four songs are heard most often: The Hawketts’ Mardi Gras Mambo, Al Johnson’s Carnival Time, Professor Longhair’s Go To the Mardi Gras, and Earl King’s Big Chief Part 1 & 2 (as performed by Longhair).
Mardi Gras Mambo was a local hit for the Hawketts in 1954. It was the first recording experience for the group, which included lead vocalist and organist Art Neville. The majority of the band was still in high school. They received little money from the recording, but were established as a favorite local performing group because of it. Oddly, there was never another Hawketts recording.
Over the last couple of decades, Mardi Gras compilations have multiplied prodigiously. The first and best compilation remains Mardi Gras Records’ Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The track list follows:
1. Go to the Mardi Gras, Professor Longhair
2. Handa Wanda, Bo Dollis and Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Indian Band
3. Carnival Time, Al Johnson
4. Big Chief Part 2, Professor Longhair
5. Street Parade, Earl King
6. Second Line Part 1, Stop Inc.
7. Mardi Gras Mambo, the Hawketts
8. New Suit, the Wild Magnolias
9. Big Chief, Part 2, Professor Longhair
10. (Big Chief like plenty of) Fire Water, The Wild Magnolias
11. Handa Wanda Part 2, Bo Dollis and Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Band
12. Second Line Part 2, Stop, Inc.
No article on popular Carnival music could be complete without mention of the official song of Rex, If Ever I Cease to Love. This song, a waltz, is the favorite of much of the ball-going set, a position it has held for a very long time, as the tune was first performed at the very first Rex parade in 1872.
The song was selected because Alexis Romanoff Alexandrovitch, the Grand Duke of Russia, had seen Lydia Thompson sing it in New York in a burlesque show, Blue Beard, and was smitten by both the woman and the tune. The Duke’s decision to visit New Orleans during Carnival prompted the hasty organization of a gala daytime procession, which became Rex. In honor of the Russian guest, If Ever I Cease to Love was played often. The song was an instant success, and it has been the preeminent ball tune ever since.
Mardi Gras Glossary
017 years
by NewOrleansMusicMan
in Mardi Gras
ANODIZED A method of coating a plain aluminum doubloon with a color by dipping the doubloon in an electrolyte bath.
BEIGNET A square, fritter-like doughnut without a hole, fried in hot oil.
BOEUF GRAS “Fattened ox” in French. the Boeuf Gras symbolizes the last meat eaten before the start of Lent.
CARNIVAL The season of merrymaking beginning twelve days after Christmas and ending with Ash Wednesday.
CAFE AU LAIT Coffee prepared with one half hot milk.
DEN A warehouse used to store and build parade floats.
DOUBLOON A type of throw, an aluminum coin with the emblem of the issuing organization embossed on one side and the theme of the parade on the order. 2009 is the 50th anniversary of the Mardi Gras Doubloon, invented by Alvin Sharpe.
FLAMBEAU The traditional device for illuminating Carnival parades, a metal torch fules with naphtha (a petroleum product). Plural- Flambeaux.
KING CAKE A doughnut shaped cake decorated with purple, green and gold icing and/or colored sugar. King Cakes are a major food tradition of Carnival in New Orleans.
KREWE A Universal term for Carnival organizations, coined by Comus in 1857.
MARDI GRAS French for Fat Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday. The culminating day of the Carnival festivities.
MEDALLION A type of throw, a necklace with a pendant bearing a Krewe’s emblem.
NEUTRAL GROUND The dividing strip of ground, usually planted, between the two sides of a large street.
PARISH the Louisiana term for county.
THROW Any trinket tossed from a Carnival parade float to spectators, the most common being plastic beads and plastic cups. Stuffed items are very popular- stuffed animals, swords, figures, etc.
VIEUX CARRE French for “Old Square”, the French Quarter.
Future Dates of Mardi Gras
117 years
by NewOrleansMusicMan
in Mardi Gras
How is the date for Mardi Gras determined? This year, the date is February 24, but any Tuesday from February 3 to March 9 could be the one. The rule is: Mardi Gras is always 46 days before Easter, which is always the first Sunday after the full moon following the Spring Equinox. And when is the Spring Equinox? It’s the day when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator, making day and night all over the planet the same length. Because this date changes, Easter and Mardi Gras shift also. Easter can fall on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25. Isn’t this easy? Try the following chart for quick reference.
Upcoming Mardi Gras Dates:
| 2009 | February 24 | 2016 | February 9 | |
| 2010 | February 16 | 2017 | February 28 | |
| 2011 | March 8 | 2018 | February 13 | |
| 2012 | February 21 | 2019 | March 5 | |
| 2013 | February 12 | 2020 | February 25 | |
| 2014 | March 4 | 2021 | February 16 | |
| 2015 | February 17 | 2022 | March 1 |