11/3 NOLA Jazz Funeral

NOLA Jazz Funeral

How Culture Shapes Music

November, 3rd, 2020

From Congo Square to Jazz....

• Jazz started as Funeral Music

• Why a funeral? It was the one tradition that all the cultures who settled in NOLA recognized

• The different cultures made a NOLA Jazz Funeral a unique experience

Open Ended

Do you think Jazz Music is appropriate to play at a funeral? Why or why not?

The NOLA Funeral Starts With Mourning

• A Funeral is held, usually in a church or religious building.

• The person that passed is recognized through a speech and there's sadness and crying.

• As the body is moved outside to begin its journey to the cemetery, it’s followed by loud wailing

The First Line

• Only family and close friends are allowed to join the First Line

• On the way to the cemetery, the crying slowly becomes a celebration of life

• The band follows with music played by: trumpet, trombone, clarinet, saxophone, tuba and drums (dixieland band)

• The music is somber since they are close to church but has a marching band style

The Second Line

• As the First Line moves further from the church, the band switches to upbeat music. This begins the Second Line

• This line is a full on celebration with dancing, clapping and singing

• Anyone can join in the second line (family, friends, onlookers, tourists and others)

Open Ended

Would you want to be recognized with upbeat music or slower hymn style music? Why?

After the Funeral??

• People wanted to dance to Dixieland Bands outside of a funeral setting

• That demand created Street Performers who would play Jazz Music regularly in the streets during the day and in clubs at night.

• Therefore creating the beginning of Jazz Music

Where Did It Go From There??

• Musicians began traveling away from the south bringing their Dixieland Jazz to cities like: Chicago, Kansas City, New York and beyond….

•  Over the decades Jazz music developed (or fused) into other styles of music that we know today 

Open Ended

Your trip to New Orleans has you coming across a Second Line funeral procession. Would you jump in and dance or stand aside and watch? Why?