Mardigramus - Crazy

Mardigramus the soothsayer dispenses pointless wisdom and useless observations every Tuesday. Today’s sooth is called “Crazy”. Click on the image to view his visionary video.

I Wanna Do That!

The move from spectator to participant is a quantum leap. In New Orleans, thousands of people have joyfully made this leap to participate in marching krewes. To document this movement, I Wanna Do That!: The Magic of Mardi Gras Marching Krewes (IWDT) was born. Through IWDT we celebrate the creative impulse that moves someone from the sidewalk and into the street. Their creative team was on the street night and day to capture as much of the phenomenon as possible, photographing and tracking krewes in the 2020 Carnival season. We think marching krewes are extraordinary and believe you will too! I Wanna Do That! is a 9” x 11” hardcover book with 272 pages and 240 color-rich photographs that capture what  Mardi Gras historian Arthur Hardy calls, “the most significant movement in Mardi Gras in decades.” Click on the image for more information & laissez le bons temps rouler!

LUNA Fête 2020 offers a light, diffused, but still breaking up the darkness!

LUNA Fête is a visionary initiative created by the Arts Council New Orleans to demonstrate the power of art to transform communities. This free and open to the public festival of light, art, and technology celebrates New Orleans creative industries and provides a memorable experience for diverse event attendees. Since its 2014 inception, LUNA Fête has presented some of the top light and projection-based artists in the world, while simultaneously providing training to local artists to advance their capabilities to create large-scale and interactive art animated with light.

In a year unlike any other, we present a light in the darkness. Despite the challenges of 2020 we know the creativity, imagination, and artistry that make up the spirit of New Orleans remain and provide a beacon of hope and healing for our future. This year LUNA Fête will be celebrated differently, with smaller installations illuminating public spaces across various corners of the city as we welcome new partners across multiple weekends.

Twilight to Sunrise - December 11 – 13th  & 18 – 20th

Mardigramus - Stupid Stuff

Mardigramus the soothsayer dispenses pointless wisdom and useless observations every Tuesday. Today’s sooth is called “Stupid Stuff”. Click on the image to view his visionary video.

Celebrating the Birthday of Louis Prima

Trumpeter, singer, songwriter, actor, bandleader and composer Louis Prima was born in New Orleans on December 7, 1910. In the late 1920s Prima formed a New Orleans-style jazz band, then he led a swing band in the 1930s, and a big band group in the 1940s. By the 1950s, he had helped popularize jump blues and was a featured act in Las Vegas. From the 1940s through the 1960s he played early R&B, rock’n’roll, boogie woogie and Italian folk music. Despite that musicians of his era were discouraged from displaying their ethnic roots, Prima embraced his Italian heritage and helped pave the way for other musicians to display their ethnic roots in their music. Some of his most popular songs include, “Just A Gigolo”, “I Wanna Be Like You”, “Jump, Jive an’ Wail”, “Pennies from Heaven”, and “When You’re Smiling”. Sadly, Prima passed away on August 24, 1978, after a lengthy illness. Today we celebrate this unique performer who always left us smiling’!

Photo by: William P. Gottlieb

Happy 40th Birthday WWOZ!

Happy 40th Birthday to the greatest radio station on the planet! WWOZ 90.7 FM has been operating since December 4, 1980, and is the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station, a community radio station operating out of the French Quarter in New Orleans. WWOZ is a listener-supported, volunteer-programmed radio station that covers many events live in and around the city and across the United States. They also broadcast live from the famed New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival annually. WWOZ's mission is to be the worldwide voice, archive, and flag-bearer of New Orleans culture and musical heritage. They continue to succeed in that mission 40 years after their start! Congratulations WWOZ! Help keep them around for another 40 years by clicking on the logo below and donating.