The New Orleans Jazz Funeral

Credit: Wikipedia

New Orleans, Louisiana is no exception when it comes to playing music for loved ones at funerals. However, it uniquely incorporates the jazz music it is well-known for, along with a combination of West African, French, and African-American traditions, into one great event that revolves around the music a marching band plays throughout the entire funeral.

The West African traditions include spiritual practices, such as those from the Yoruba tribes and other tribes from the same region. The French influences stems from colonial days, when the tradition of military-style brass bands began. African American traditions include a wide range of influences, from Protestant and Catholic beliefs, to those of Haitian voodoo, which involve pleasing the spirit protectors of lost loved ones through a post-death celebration, to those from the Mardi Gras Indians’ tradition, which blend Carnival festivities with traditional Native American clothing.

The tradition of the New Orleans Jazz Funeral is not just an exclusively African American one. Although it was mainly separated by racial boundaries during the earlier part of the twentieth century, ethnic and religious boundaries were broken by the 1960s. Most people who are given a jazz funeral are connected to the music industry in some way, whether as musicians or prominent supporters of music organizations. While many of these types of funerals tend to be for African American musicians, a new trend of their being performed for youth who have died tragically has been growing. The hiring of the band is the responsibility of those who arrange the funeral.

A standard New Orleans Jazz Funeral starts with friends, family members and the selected band that marches from the location of the funeral to the cemetery. During this time, the music is very somber. Once the loved one is buried or the final goodbyes have been said, the music shifts to more upbeat numbers, starting with lively religious music and then eventually incorporating popular music. This cheerful and hopeful music often inspires cathartic dancing in order to celebrate the life of the lost loved one. When people join the band simply to enjoy the music, they are known as the “second line”, and when they add dancing into the mix, it is known as the second lining.

Credit: http://www.photoree.com

A few notable people who were celebrated with a New Orleans Jazz Funeral were the 60 Minutes journalist, Ed Bradley; the musician, Ike Turner; and the puppeteer, Jim Henson.

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