*New Orleans – It’s that time of year once again. This is a season of renewal, during Spring. You can see more proof of Spring in all the beautiful flowers and plants sprouting up everywhere.
A plethora of festivals have blossomed in New Orleans. These festivals and more will be on full display throughout the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana from now until next Spring.
This is reason enough to stir up an urge to dust off your favorite seasonal dance shoes. The French Quarter Festival Second-Line Parade served as the perfect outlet to strut your stuff.
French Quarter Festival official couldn’t have asked for better weather. The weather for this day was bright, sunny and hot, with temperatures around 85 degrees.
Hundreds of colorful, vibrant array of revelers assembled on Bourbon Street for the 36th Annual French Quarter Festival Second-Line Parade. The French Quarter Festival is presented by Chevron.
The early morning festivities was very lively with music, and people dressed up, dancing and making merry along Bourbon Street to its destination in Jackson Square.
Back by popular demand, the 504 Krewe led this year’s kick-off parade. The members of this exciting energetic krewe consist of Anita Oubre, John Sanpie, aka, Spidey 504 and Darryl Young, known locally and internationally as the Dancing Man 504. The 504 Krewe were followed by community members carrying the French Quarter Festival banner and parading behind the banner. A fire truck Float operated by Zapps Potato chips, Brass Bands, Second-Line dancers, French Quarter Festival VIP’s, Board Members, Presenting Sponsors and supporters participated in this great family-friendly kick-off celebration. A few of the sponsors parading were Chevron, Omni Hotels and Resorts, GE, Jack Daniel’s, Hilton, 4WWL TV, Tropical Isle, Zapp’s, Harrah’s, House of Blues, Sheraton, Abita Beer and New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park to name a few.
The Hilton Stage in Jackson Square hosted the Opening Ceremony. French Quarter Festival officials welcomed the huge crowd of locals (retirees and people ditching work for today-we won’t tell), national and international tourists in attendance for the first day of the festival.
Additional comments and welcome remarks were delivered by Emily Madero, President/CEO French Quarter Festival, representatives from Hilton, Chevron-Leah Brown, musician Ronnie Kole and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Father Phillip Landry was called on to Bless the occasion and said a Special Prayer for the success of the 4 days of the festival.
The City of New Orleans is unique in that you have musicians whose family name is synonymous with music. Music has been in the family for decades and sometimes, over a hundred years.
It is also with great pleasure that visitors and I can continue to enjoy the musical legacies during our annual trek to the Crescent City. You can find many talented musicians performing at clubs, concerts, cultural events and festivals throughout the year.
I’m fortunate to witness musical legends as well as up and coming stars on the rise at the 36th Annual French Quarter Festival presented by Chevron.
Thursday, April 11th, the opening day of the festival featured the amazing piano wizardry of Ellis Marsalis on the Hilton Stage in Jackson Square. The crowd and I were for a pleasant surprise at the sight of trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis also on stage for a magical afternoon of jazz.
Friday, April 12th, John Boutte got the show underway on the Hilton Stage in Jackson Square. This is another popular singer/songwriter from a musical family. John Boutte immediately established rapport with the crowd with some humorous banter in between songs and through his lyrics.
Lena Prima is the daughter of internationally known vocalist Louie Prima. If you are young at heart, I’m sure that you recall many of his songs while growing up, and you can hear various versions/arrangements of his tunes on the radio. Lena Prima was accompanied by a tight band on the Jack Daniel’s Stage for a swinging set of original tunes as well tunes by her famous dad. The crowd and I were all smiles throughout her set, that featured a lot of audience participation on some tunes. Their set list consisted of “I Wanna Be Like You,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “Got You Under My skin,” “Night Train,” “Felicia No Capicia,” “Come on a My House,” “Josephine, Please Don’t Lean on the Bell,” “Pensate Amore,” “Scuba Diver,” “Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody,” and concluded their set with “When You’re Smiling.” See, I caught you smiling, just reading this set list.
Singer/songwriter Tricia Boutte made a return visit to New Orleans to perform once again at the French Quarter Festival presented by Chevron. She currently lives in Norway. It was a family reunion, class reunion and a wonderful afternoon listening to Tricia Boutte and Nordic Swing on the GE Stage. Nordic Swing is her back-up band from Norway, they were superb throughout her set. I was only able to catch the last two songs of her set “Shake That Thang,” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
The Zion Harmonizers are celebrating their 80th Anniversary, founded/started in 1939. This was reason enough to celebrate and Praise the Lord on this beautiful, windy, Saturday afternoon. Nothing says Renewal like the powerful, encouraging, hopeful and uplifting sounds of Gospel music. Regardless of one’s religious upbringing, the crowd couldn’t help being moved by the Spirit on the tunes “Do You Love the Lord,” “Where Could I Go, but to the Lord,” “Tell Me, How Did You Feel,” “People Get Ready,” and “I Want to be At the Meeting,” to name a few.
Charmaine Neville closed out the evening on the Hilton Stage with a dynamic, crowd pleasing set of jazz, blues, R&B tunes.
The trifecta was completed Sunday afternoon upon seeing Jason Marsalis and the 21st Century Trad Band thrill the crowd with some amazing Traditional Jazz on the Pan-American Insurance Group Stage located on Moonwalk Extension.
There are many talented women vocalists in New Orleans. There were so many on the line-up that it made it hard to see most of them. Thais Clark & Her JAZZsters held it down on the French Market Trad Jazz Stage outside of the French Market. The highlight of her set came when she gave a life lesson to all the women in the audience on the tune “Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues.”
Wanda Rouzan and a Taste of New Orleans put on a captivating show in front of a large crowd of family, friends and fans on the Tropical Isle Hand Grenade Stage. Their high octane set featured the tunes “Treme Song,” “Take Me As I Am,” “Bourbon Street Parade” with Second line dancer Andrew LeDuff. Their set continued with “Shake a Hand,” “Something You Got/I Know,” “OO PO PA DO,” “Wobble,” “Iko,” “You Can Have My Husband, Don’t Mess with My Man,” and concluded her set with “Wonderful World.
Erica Falls followed afterwards on the same. My festival experience concluded with The Dixie Cups as they took the crowd and I down memory lane on the Abita Beer Stage.
Ricky Richardson is a Southern California based writer, music reviewer and photographer. Contact him via: [email protected]
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