The Mardi Gras Indians started their journey in the late 1800s and pulled much of their influence from their Native American comrades. Whether they're Wild Tchoupitoulas or Wild Magnolia, the music of the Mardi Gras Indians represents strength and long-rooted tradition and is as vital a part of Mardi Gras music history as the music of brass bands. Mardi Gras music, like Christmas music, is not so much a style of music as it is an aural milieu comprised of various forms. Among them: orchestral and big-band arrangements played at tableau balls; Mardi Gras-themed rhythm-and-blues numbers that pour out of jukeboxes, “cutting-loose” jazz tunes that drive revelers to “shake booty” and pump umbrellas in the air; Afro-Caribbean chants The traditions of Mardi Gras are a huge part of New Orleans' cultural identity. They've been evolving since the mid-1700s, and for the past century or so, the music of the Crescent City has Every year, as winter fades and spring approaches, the streets of New Orleans explode with color, music, and celebration. Mardi Gras, the grandest festival in Louisiana, is famous for its parades, beads, masked revelers, and deep cultural traditions. The enigmatic Mardi Gras Indians, influenced by Native American traditions, left an indelible mark on the season, contributing to musical favorites like “Iko Iko” and “Jock-A-Mo.” The music of the Mardi Gras Indians, representing strength and tradition, became an integral part of Mardi Gras music history. This unit is intended to introduce students to the culture and music of Mardi Gras Indians, an important African American phenomenon that takes place in New Orleans. Students will examine the tradition and its culture-bearers, listen to and analyze Mardi Gras Indian music, and examine the multiple In this article, we will delve into the rich history of Mardi Gras, explore its vibrant traditions and customs, examine the spectacle of parades and floats, discover the allure of costumes and masks, appreciate the role of music and dance, savor the culinary delights, and discuss the challenges and controversies surrounding this extraordinary After Louis Armstrong reigned as King Zulu in 1949, musicians began writing music specifically for and about Mardi Gras. These early songs paved the way for the sounds of Carnival for decades to come. Differences get bigger. In Mardi Gras' early days in Louisiana, the differences in the city and rural towns weren't so stark. Between 1700 and 1800s, most celebrations in New Orleans were just Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, which takes place March 4, marks the party’s climax and the end of Carnival Season on the Gulf Coast. The conclusion falls the day before Ash Wednesday and is seen as a final day of feasting and revelry before the solemnity of Lent. Mardi Gras Parade & Festival. Next date: Tuesday, March 04, 2025 | 03:00 PM to 09:00 PM. Experience a grand celebration with food, drink, music, and a parade featuring over 50 unique, colorful floats. Please no pets, no coolers. The event is from 3-9:00 pm. The parade begins at 7:00 pm along Douglas Avenue, from Beltrees to Skinner. There is no pinpointing the origins of the celebration known today as Carnival or Mardi Gras. Indeed, because its most elemental characteristics — drinking and feasting, dancing and music, masks and costumes — extend back into the mists of time, there’s no tidy way to connect the dots between prehistoric cave paintings of dancing stick-like figures wearing animal masks and the modern pre The enigmatic Mardi Gras Indians, influenced by Native American traditions, left an indelible mark on the season, contributing to musical favorites like “Iko Iko” and “Jock-A-Mo.” The music of the Mardi Gras Indians, representing strength and tradition, became an integral part of Mardi Gras music history. 7:00 p.m. George P. Mitchell Mardi Gras Award Honoree Parade Following the George P. Mitchell Mardi Gras Award Presentation, this is the first parade to Kick Off Mardi Gras Galveston 2025! This parade is packed with marching bands, dancing squads & tons of energy. Mardi Gras Balls Elegant balls crown new royalty during Carnival. Some of the most glittering spectacles of Mardi Gras happen behind closed doors at grand balls thrown by krewes for their members and lucky guests. On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday. Bienville also established "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile) in 1702. Mardi Gras Music History The nexus between Carnival and music reflects the festive, let-the-good-times-roll culture of the Crescent City, where parading and dancing have long been obsessions. The seasonal spirit and its accompanying soundtrack conspire to prompt revelers to shed inhibitions Big Chief Demond Melancon hand beading a part of his Mardi Gras Indian suit. (C)2019 GILES CLEMENT/DEMOND MELANCON. In 2008, after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, Melancon returned to masking. Mardi Gras itself dates to New Orleans’ earliest days, or perhaps even before the city’s establishment. An annual event that begins on the Feast of the Epiphany and culminates in parades on During Mardi Gras celebrations, you'll hear a whole mish-mash of party music and other genres. For this Mardi Gras playlist, we've focused mainly on brass bands, rhythm and blues, jazz, and zydeco in order to capture the traditional sounds of the Bourbon Street festivities.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |