Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Nothing like starting the day with a present! Amy just sent me this! A picture just of me! Now y'all quite griping! And it's even from Mother's Day! You can tell by the shirt!
Jackie just called and we're all on board for meeting soon and heading to the Backstreet Museum and then on to the Live Oak for brunch and to, maybe, kidnap Clare for a while! Yay!
As I walk out of my room I see Amy leaning over the railing of the courtyard chatting with Jackie who is drying her hair on her balcony! Sorry I was late to the meeting!
Down in the lobby Norah and Chris come in with their suitcase all packed and as soon as everyone has a cup of something hot we load up the minivan and set off for the museum. It's across the street from St. Augustine's church which has a memorial to all the unknown slaves who lie in unmarked graves. It is made from actual chains and manacles used in those by-gone days and is quite moving.
The museum consists of two rooms in Mr. Francis' house and from the outside you don't really expect very much. That makes the inside all that much more dramatic! Robert Francis, the younger brother of the founder, conducts our tour and as we enter the first room our eyes all but pop out of our heads. It is filled with the most amazing costumes from the Indian Krewes of Mardi Gras. Each costume is more elaborate than the last and the amount of time and effort it takes to create one is almost beyond belief!
Robert tell us that there are forty Indian tribes, each a separate entity, and that they wear a brand new costume for each Mardi Gras. You can wear it again for other parades during the year; but only for that year. There is a parade on St. Joseph's Day and three Super Sundays, one each in April, May and June, and there other lots of other opportunities for private parties and celebrations. A costume might weigh as much as 120 pounds but most of the weight is in the main parts of the costume, not the headdress. That's the only party that can be removed during the day.
The Tribes don't march in the regular parade on Canal Street. Rather, they parade through their own neighborhoods. They begin early in the morning with the Skeleton Men going around and banging on doors and windows to get everyone up and out. When the actual parade begins, it is lead by Sky Boy who is on the lookout for other tribes. He is followed by Flag Boy who is half a block behind. Two blocks behind him is the main contingent with First Chief, Second Chief and Third Chief. First Chief is protected by Wild Man who acts as a bodyguard. He has horns on his costume and is trained from childhood to keep anyone away from the Chief if so directed. There is also a First Queen and perhaps more. Their costumes match their chief's.
Costumes are created of individual "patches" which are pieces of strong but flexible cardboard decorated with sequins and beads, each of which is sewn individually. There may also be maribou and plumes. Glue is never used; everything is sewn by hand. We were advised to not wait until October if we plan to make a costume!!
The reason there are Mardi Gras Indians is that during the slavery period, when a slave escaped, the Native Americans were the ones to take them in. Each group was fighting for its rights and freedom. The area in which the museum is located is Treme which was the name of the plantation which occupied this ground. The man who owned it released his slaves.
Robert's tribe is the Mandingo and when asked about other tribes' practices, for example what do they do with previous costumes, he replies most emphatically that he can only speak for his tribe.
Later I talk with a visitor who has brought a group of students to the museum. He tells me that there used to be actual confrontations between the tribes and that they were usually settled with something like a rap-off with rhymes like Jacamo. There was also bloodshed on occasion and that the Wild Man's role was much more than just ceremonial.
Robert tells us that for decades the Indians paraded for free but the city government decided to charge them $7,000. One of their most eloquent and well-know speakers appeared before the council and pleaded their case. He suffered a heart attack and died during his presentation! The council decided to only charge $4,000. It is supposed to pay for police protection.
He also tells us that we should come to Mardi Gras but not go to the big parade which we can only watch. We should come to the museum because everyone comes there some time during the day and instead of just watching we can dance and participate!
The other room of the museum is devoted to the social aid and pleasure clubs. These are vital to the well-being of the communities because everyone pays dues which to go held the members with things like burial expenses, Christmas presents for the kids, Thanksgiving turkeys and school supplies. As Rober tsaid, it can cost more to die than to live!
The social aid and pleasure clubs are the ones that do Second Line. The way it works is that the club is divided into "divisions" of ten people. They are all dressed alike and may either line up in the street of make a grand entrance from the club. When they are line up a jazz band comes behind them and then people join in, becoming the Second Line. If there are more than ten people in the club, a second division comes next, then another band, then more people, and a third dividion and band and people, etc. People follow whichever band they like the best.
There are seventy clubs but only forty of them do Second Line. It is a celebration of the anniversary of the club. They each have their own Sunday beginning in May. Sometimes the weather is too bad to parade and the club loses all the work they've put into preparations. A costume will usually include not just the matching shirts and pants and shoes but also a decorated cane and basket and streamers and most especially the umbrella.
There is also a portion of the room devoted to memorials for famous people who have passed.
We could stay all day and ogle the finery; but we have to get to the Live Oak for lunch!! YAY! We might even get to have some time with Clare! Some of us order breakfast but I'm entranced by the lunch special with three tostados covered with chicken and refriend beans and other wonders. It's a treat for the taste buds! And the coffee is still the best ever! There is even live music! Katarina plays a mean piano and has an arresting singing voice! Jackie says she's also a dancer!
While Jackie and all decide what we should do next, Amy and I go shopping in some of the quaint little places on Oak Street. Soon we get a text that the group as moved to the Mellow Mushroom, so we check in with them and when we leave again Jackie joins us for some antiquing. Good fun!
When we get back Clare and Elaina, her partner have come with Elaina's three-year old daughter, Lulu, who entertains us by counting all of us correctly. She's a curly-haired munchkin with no inhibitions! Too cute!
While Amy and I are upstairs we get the word that we're on the march again! We're going to get a tour of Clare's kitchen! There was some doubt about whether that would be possible! She shows us the citrus cleaner that they make themselves and the industrial size hand blender and the orange display/dispenser that Barrett built. It's quite an operation, as you'd expect! They are hoping to get their liquor license this fall and then gear up for an expansion into the dinner hour!
With heavy hearts we say good-bye and load up to take Norah and Chris to the airport. It's cool to know that we have one more day, though!!
There is some discussion about our next move. I'm flying United but everyone else is on SouthWest and their seat assignments are dependent on check-in time. This can probably be done by smart phone but you have to have a ticket number of some other magic serious of digits and those are all back at the hotel. We decide to stop back by the hotel and actually print out our boarding passes so that we don't have to worry about it later.
That done we agree to split up for dinner and regroup on Frenchman Street to "jazz up" our last night!
Jackie, Bill and I go to Neyow's Creole Cafe to meet Clare, Elaina and Clare's long-time friend Inga. WE start out at the bar and Lea, the bartender mixes me a Bow Wow fruit punch. I had no idea it would be about sixteen ounces! And pack quite such a punch! Slow and steady - but I'll still never finish it! Clare orders some char-grilled oysters with parmesian on top and I have two of those! Jackie orders sweet potatoes puffs and they're pretty delicious too!
Our table is ready and the N'Orleans girls have brough Jackie a Mother's Day present! Such sweeties! Dinner arrives and I'm having stuffed crab with potato salad and carrot souffle. The New Orleans folks sure can cook! Of course when you hang out with foodies, you have a better shot at the good stuff!!
The girls all have to work in the morning, so we say our good-byes and head for the clubs. There is so much music! It's on the street corners and in the bars and everywhere! Stu had told me about a little art mart that he thought was off Frenchman and sure enough I stumble right onto it! It's just a little block long but has lots of interesting goodies!
Before the night is over we've stopped at a patio bar with a group that does old rock and blues and with an impromptu floor show, listened to a fantastic brass back on the street and a superb group called the Smoking Time Jazz Club playing at the Spotted Cat. The club is renowned for having the best musicians! There are three couples dancing in the tiny space in front of the band and they are very different in style. And lots of fun to watch!
Wow! It's after midnight and some people are turning into pumpkins! Somehow we luck into a parking place and are back home and ready for bed!
