JazzFest is Over, But the Music Goes On!

As usual Jazzfest was awesome and we all had a chance to dance, eat, sweat and become a part of a new yet old experience.It is getting rather expensive for the locals-$65.00 a ticket is quite a jump from the eighties when it was $5.00, but we manage somehow.

I remember leaving school at 12:00p.m.  on the first Friday and walking from John Mac ( where we taught high school English) which was about five blocks away and getting in line to get our posters. This was our routine for years. Camille and I would leave work and walk to the Fairground and just bathe in the joy of eating good food,buying our posters and listening to our favorite musicians. Camille always got the JazzFest poster, but I would get  the Congo Square poster. We would get our stuffed crab sandwich and our coke and eat in the sun. I usually had my schedule of whom I wanted to see. Camille was more interested in the crafts and jewelry. I went straight to Economy Hall Tent where there was sure to have a secondline before the set was over.  Plus these were the tent where most of the local Jazz musicians  would perform.I had to see Bo Dollis and theWild Magnolia Marid Gras Indians and whoever was closing out the Congo Stage.So if you have five or six different bands, you were sure to have five or six secondlines.

My favorite JazzFest moment was with my daughter Ponya.

     This was a special Jazz  Fest not only because it was celebrating its  35^th anniversary, but because it was celebrating South Africa’s 10^th anniversary as a democratic state.  My daughter, Ponya came down from New York to share in the festivities.  My children have always enjoyed coming to Jazz Fest. When they were very young, I worked at a senior citizen center and we had a booth at Jazz Fest; we made aprons and baby clothes  . I would bring the seniors and the items early to the Fair grounds in my van. You know with four children you had to have a van because you always had them and some of their friends to transport. I would hide my two younger children under the boxes as we drove through  the side entrance. And once inside they were  in wonderland.  When they were old enough they performed on the Congo Stage, with Culu, an African dance troupe, and that performance made them official. Now that they are grown and gone, coming back to enjoy and share Jazz Fest is still exciting. I usually get my schedule and decide which days I will be attending, some years, I go everyday, but since I am back working, I try to go just on the weekends, but I have to go on the first Friday to get my  poster, so I still go at least four or five  days .

       That year started as usual, even though it was the celebration of the 10^th year of South Africa’s democracy. I left work early, stood  in  this long- line in the heat  of the day- to buy a poster. I brought  the Congo Square poster. This year’s Congo poster had an image of the second line in New Orleans. I was so excited to find this  poster and it was just $65.00.I lost it in the hurricane with

the other JazzFest posters I had collected over the years, but it gave me much pleasure while I had it.

 

we arrived early , we ate stuffed crab sandwiches and went to the Congo Square Stage. The weather was some what overcast, so it wasn’t too bad; it was still hot, but we wanted to get close to the stage , so I could take some good photos. .My camera is not commercial , so I have to use my zoom lens to get close shots. A local young group was on first and Sunpie entertained us next.  Bruce ‘Sunpie’ Barnes is a local Cajun /zydeco /historian/ who plays an accordion, a harmonica and sings in Cajun. He is originally from Arkansas, but he is naturally New Orleans.    We jammed through two performances before Hugh Masekela and the other performers from South Africa appeared. Ponya and I were already  hyped from Sunpie’s  performance , so when the music started ,we were jumping up and down like we were in the  movie,

Sarafina . I could not believe that I could jump up and down and not get tied.

We were in another world; a world that took us back to our home land and let us celebrate its renewed freedom.  The music was great, the dancers were moving and we just  enjoyed the day. We brought pralines from Loretta’s as we started back to the

car. We always park by John McDonogh because we know the shortcuts through the neighborhood and we can avoid the terrific

 traffic jams.

      The next day we got to the Fest early again ; we ate first…Bar be cue Oysters again; they are so delicious you just can’t get enough of them. Plus the servings are rather small. Then we headed over to the Sprint stage to be up close to see Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias.    We got there before the performance started and we stood in front the stage with the other fans.  I love to see the Mardi Gras Indians perform because they come out in full dress and do all the Indians chants. It is always a very moving experience. When Bo Dollis act was over, we literally ran to the Congo Square Stage to see  Wyclef. He sang “ If I was President ”; it had not been released yet and he told the audience to get out their cell phones and record it. We called our house and put it on the answering machine. It was so cool!  We ate pralines as we walked back to the car savoring the creamy sweetness of the candy and the sheer joy of the day’s events.

 This year is was just as exciting ;Economy Hall tent was jumping and Ziggy Marley was worth waiting for.

Now I am trying to get to see some of my local musician freinds like Leroy Jones, Kermit Ruffin and Topsy Chapman. I still miss Bob French and I wish someone would tell his fans where he is.

Every day that we awaken is a gift from God. Sometimes we have so much negativity around us that we forget to be thankful for another day to do God's will. We are so caught up in our jobs, our bills, our family problems that we put our JOY on hold. But from this day forward think about all the positive things that exist or have existed in your life. You may have negative people around you now on your job, but remember the positive people who you have met on various jobs; people who were funny, inspirational, talkative and dance in the hallway or at the water cooler.
I always cherish my days of teaching at John McDonogh High School in New Orleans because I had great co-workers and great students. There was never a dull moment and seldom a negative attitude except when we had to get the principal off his high horse. But our students had 'our backs' and we had theirs. We were a family and we laughed,joked,learned and taught.One year we started school with a series of fire drills. Every morning about 8:45, the fire alarm would go off. 1200 student started filing  the down steps of a most cherished ,worn building. My neighbor, another English teacher like myself, would be behind me "What the f...is gong on again this morning? Where is that high flying principal when these students are pulling the goddamn alarms. " We laugh because she is so funny. She teaches Shakespeare with fluency, but she can also speak the vernacular of the streets. Our students mingle together under the Oak trees for shade. It is a warm,humid September day and God has given us a beautiful day to stand on Esplanade Avenue. We talk about the Band Director and the teacher with whom he is talking . Marge  starts again, "look at that ...you can say what you want -those two are going together; she knows he is a player, I never trusted a musician...too many women around them and they don't know how to say 'no'. She continues, I just hope he remembers AIDS is out here because he is the best band director we have had in a long time.  She starts singing this jingle.' Ace of Spades, Deuce of Spades, We Rule Esplanade". We laugh and the students listening to our conversation ,smile and shake their heads.The bells rings for us to return to class. Marge talks as we move up three flights of stairs.'Girl, I am so glad you decided to make coffee in the morning because I don't know how I would make it through the day without a cup of your coffee."
Only in New Orleans can a cup of strong coffee bring JOY!