New Orleans Jazz Bands - Report Example

New Orleans Jazz Bands One aspect that emerges as quite distinguishable in the New Orleans culture is jazz funeral. Among all American cities, jazz funerals in New Orleans were only peculiar to New Orleans, as noted by Architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe in 1819. In his book-Bourbon Street Black, Danny Barker; the late jazzman wrote that funeral is observed a major celebration. He cited the roots of jazz funeral dating back to Africa. About four centuries ago, the Yoruba of Nigeria and the Dahomeans of Benin, West Africa, laid down the foundation that carries one of the contemporary society’s most novel practices. Secret societies ascribed to the Yoruba and Dahomean people assured fellow tribesmen of a proper burial being performed following one’s death. In order to oversee the accomplishment of this guarantee, resources were pooled in order to ensure the formation of what was generally labeled an early insurance form (Hersch, 32). When slaves were shipped to America, the notion of affording proper burials to fellow sisters or brothers remained strong. With the passing of time, the same concepts that had deep roots in African ideology evolved into one of the basic principles that formed the social as well as pleasure clubs in New Orleans. In a similar way that numerous fraternal orders did, this social club guaranteed proper conditions of burial to any member who eventually passed. These organizations emerged as precursors to companies dealing with debit insurance and burial insurance as a concept (Jacobsen, 55). In New Orleans, they talk of an individual ‘being sent off with music’. The Jazz funeral is New Orleans’s fundamental music experience. It is imperative that an individual be buried properly to ensure that their souls are at peace. The African protocols that marked a proper burial in New Orleans encountered those of Europe. Dancing during funerals was not only a guarantee in Africa, but also an old Spanish tradition that hailed from African heritage. The South embodied an African burial tradition that usually took place at night. Meanwhile, New Orleans’s Catholic City, held processional funerals that were led by the church, dating back as far as the Spanish era (Jacobsen 59). The beginning of the nineteenth century saw band instruments beginning to play during funerals for back people in New Orleans. By the end of the century, the funerals were held for uptown Protestants of Anglo-American descent and Catholic Creoles alike. Many of the former embodied what New Orleans refers to as a ‘spiritual church’, renowned for its music traditions that are quite powerful. Brass bands had grown to great popularity in New Orleans and the rest of the country. Jazz had its roots nourished in the African-American community to a great extent, but grew into a broader phenomenon drawing from numerous ethnic groups and communities in New Orleans. A collaborative relationship that was special developed New Orleans’s brass bands and societies for mutual aid and benevolence. Societies for Mutual Aid and Benevolence were common in New Orleans among numerous groups during the nineteenth century (Hersc, 47).Following the Civil War, these organizations took on adopted a special meaning for the emancipated African Americans with limited economic resources. These societies served the purpose of helping the sick and burying the dead. These were important functions, seeing as there was a general prohibition barring blacks from securing health insurance and commercial health services. Whereas numerous organizations in New Orleans utilized brass bands in concerts, parades, funerals, and political rallies, the African-American societies for mutual aid and benevolence took on a distinctive expressive approach to parades and funeral processions-something which goes on at present. During their events, celebrants in the community would join the exuberant processions of dance. The phenomena that characterized the community participating in parades came to be known as ‘the second line’; which means that jazz bands were second to the official members of society in addition to their contracted band. Other community organizations also made use of the ‘ragtime’ brass bands synonymous with New Orleans. Mardi Grass walking clubs, the notable ones being the Cornet Carnival Club (still existent) were employers of this music (Giddins and DeVeaux, 49). By the start of the twentieth century, New Orleans was not only thriving as a major river or sea port, but also as a major center for entertainment. Publishing house, legitimate theater, instrument stores and vaudeville employed musicians within the central business district. Entertainment establishments that were less legitimate flourished within and around the red light districts that were officially sanctioned; near Rampart and Carnal streets. Lake Ponchartrain’s shores saw bands competing for audiences at audiences at resorts and amusement parks. In the neighborhood, street parades were quite common, with corner salons and social halls holding dances close to every night. Most of the penchant for dancing ascribed to New Orleans was never lost with most of the brass band members in the city doubling as dance band players. The regressive segregation laws passed during the 1890s augmented any individual of African heritage and did away with the previous status of specialty that Creoles of color were initially granted. In the long run these changes united the roles of color and black musicians, hence strengthening early jazz and forging a society in New Orleans that had bands championing an expression for equality amongst the races (Giddins and DeVeaux, 76). In New Orleans, most events were accompanied by music, and this afforded numerous musicians the opportunity to work. In addition to dances and parades, they played at lawn parties, athletic events, church festivals, weddings, funerals, and picnics. Being the prime musical genre of New Orleans, jazz formed the basis for earning a living in the society, and this has been incredibly linked with reducing the crime rates in the society, since the bands afforded an opportunity for individuals to gain some skill and expertise in jazz music as a trade. The New Orleans Foundation owns the Jazz and Heritage Festival. The proceeds from this festival are utilized for programs of community development throughout the year, in the areas of culture, education and community development. This foundation perpetuates, preserves, and promotes the culture, civic and economic activities of the region. The core values of the foundation include social and cultural consciousness, accountability, education, and general responsibility. Its strategic priorities all programs’ height, strengthen the relations of its constituent communities, and to work towards espousing the stability of the foundation in future (Ward and Ken 63). Jazz unites African rhythm with New Orleans’s churches by providing a spiritual, cultural, and holistic environment that is conducive enough for the family, especially the children. By performing in churches, the jazz caucuses were able to make a contribution towards the ending of the alienation of the New Orleans community that lasted an entire century (Charters, 89). Conclusion Jazz music serves the purpose of a societal mirror. Music in America would be totally different without the enslaved African population. Jazz emerges as a powerful tool for human expression. The creative, emotional, and musical aspects ascribed to this genre of music has a great place in the culture and fiber of New Orleans in the sense that it unites the community, it is is an expressive avenue, and has benevolent tenets that form its fundamental essence. Works cited Charters, Samuel Barclay. A trumpet around the corner: the story of New Orleans jazz. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2008. Print. Giddins, Gary, and Scott Knowles DeVeaux. Jazz. New York: W.W. Norton, 2009. Print. Hersch, Charles. Subversive sounds: race and the birth of jazz in New Orleans. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print. Jacobsen, Thomas W.. Traditional New Orleans jazz conversations with the men who make the music. Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana State University Press, 2011. Print. Ward, Geoffrey C., and Ken Burns. Jazz: a history of Americas music. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2000. Print. Read More