new orleans mardi gras indian rhythm section: Halfway Through May

Yeti came up in the Calliope housing projects which were destroyed by hurricane Katrina and the resulting flood. As children Yeti and his group made Indian suits from cardboard and pieces of real Mardi Gras Indian suits that were worn out and cast off at the end of the season. They played drums made from cardboard boxes, or buckets. On carnival day they would go and meet their counterparts from other parts of the projects; their territories defined by "driveways" like the adult indians territories were defined by streets and neighborhoods. As children they played out the ritual and pageantry with the passion of the generations that came before them.

The Indian Rhythm Section at it's pre-katrina peak could field as many as 15 drummers as it did for the funeral of Allison "Tootie" Montana, chief of chiefs, in 2005. We are the house band at Handa Wanda, which is ground zero for uptown indians, providing the music for the weekly Indian Practice. We are perennial favorites at The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, having played ther every year since 1977. As a group we were the only local act to play twice at the festival this year; once as the Indian Rhythm Section and again as the Black Eagles, with Chief Roddy as leader. in addition to our ensemble playing, individuals from the group played in at least a dozen different shows over the festival's two weeks.

We were chosen as the band to back both the uptown and downtown Indians at the Festival New Orleans produced by A.E.G. in London last year. We also were part of the halftime show, along with the Rebirth Brass Band, when the New Orleans Saints played at Wembley Stadium.

new orleans mardi gras indian rhythm section

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Halfway Through May

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