(written March, 2007)
maybe this is common knowledge, but to me this was news: for decades, african americans have been dressing up as their interpretation of american indians on mardi gras, as a tribute to the american indians who in the past helped the african american slaves in the south. groups of african americans in n’awlins have been creating their own tribes , sewing elaborate feathered costumes all year, then prancing and chanting their stuff come mardi gras, as a fun show-down and show-off. even wearing wigs to look "Indian". i wouldn’t have believed it if i didn’t see it and hear it with my own eyes and ears last week.
i went to a "pre-mardi gras party" at ruta maya coffeehouse here. living up north, i forgot that Katrina victims were (eventually) evacuated here to Austin. when i walked into the room, i entered a zone--the french quarter? the energy was so different. the headlining band was "big chief kevin goodman and the flaming arrows". big chief has a crazy quality voice, like Busta Rhymes. a bunch of the band members were wearing huge, i mean HUGE costumes made out of a million feathers and beads and sequins. their music is made up of funky beats and call and response chanting, with a lot of it being kinda folk music in the sense it told the story of a people. one of the chants told the story of austin and new orleans music blending (chili in the gumbo) and another told the story of people surviving hurricane Katrina (party come outa that water). between chants there was some detailed storytelling about what it was like to be a Katrina survivor and how appreciative those folks are to the city of Austin--Austin was, and still is, good to them. a bunch of folks actually drove from N. O. hundreds of miles to be there that night--it was an emotional reunion and i was one of a few white folks to be there. many Katrina survivors are not going back, so Mardi Gras--although small--is alive and well in Austin.
earlier bands included Cyril Neville and Tribe 13, who funked and rapped like crazy, and later Cyril was proclaimed King of Mardi Gras. there was also a fantastic latino based band called Nelson Saga--almost every member was from a different country. the whole place was sweating and dancing the whole night long, and for once i wished i was not wearing my cowgirl boots. i made a new friend that night who is both deaf and mute. yet he loves music--he hangs next to the speakers with his hands on them (and then i saw him taking jean claude’s west african dance class the next week!) there were several people in wheelchairs from N. O--yes survivors of Katrina--who were completely a part of the dancing and the chanting………the blending of countries and cities and cultures, the mosaic of people of different colors and ability levels partying, all through music, was a big gooey wonderful heartwarming mess....
Here’s an article with fantastic, and moving, detail and a photo of big chief in costume......from the Austin Chronicle:
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