Gettin’ Jazzed in New Orleans
The soulful blend of blazing trumpets and pounding drums, tinkling pianos and screeching violins float through the thick Louisiana air as the New Orleans’ Jazz and Heritage Festival begins its annual celebration. This year, the festival will run for seven days, from April 25 to April 27 and May 1 to May 4. The festival will take place at the Fair Grounds Race Course, located just 10 miles from the French Quarter.
The 2008 Festival marks the first year since Hurricane Katrina that the Neville Brothers, New Orleans’ iconic band, will be performing in the city. It is also country-music star and Louisiana-native Tim McGraw’s first Jazz Festival performance of his career.
“We have been all over the world during the last two years, sharing the spirit of New Orleans through our music and raising funds for Katrina relief, so now it’s time to bring the music home to our beloved New Orleans for the fans and the music community,” the Neville Brothers said of their anticipated appearance in the show.
Along with the famous four Neville brothers, popular soul group Maze, featuring Frankie Beverly, will perform. In addition, dozens of R&B, Afro-Caribbean, folk, bluegrass, rap and other artists will entertain. The festival will release a complete music lineup in early February.
In addition to the heart-pounding music and jovial atmosphere of the festival is its famous Cajun-style food. The spicy smell of seasoning and sting of smoking barbeque at the fair lures visitors to the countless booths of traditional Louisiana-style cooking. Here at the festival, visitors can find everything from the classic Cajun jambalaya, seafood gumbo, and Po-Boy sandwiches to the more daring alligator pie. A tall, frothy glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade washes it all down.
After gorging on the vast selection of Louisiana cuisine, visitors can browse the colorful blend of booths in the fair’s four distinct festival marketplaces. At Congo Square, music and art collide as visitors shop for handcrafted African jewelry, paintings and musical instruments while African-American, African-Caribbean and Latino musicians take the stage.
Past Congo Square lies the nationally recognized Contemporary Crafts area, where hand-blown glass, leather goods, sculptures and other unique artworks are showcased.
In the Louisiana Marketplace, the state’s unique cultural history is expressed through the work of Louisiana’s finest artists, including world-renown jewelry artist Magnon Faget.
The Louisiana Folk Village contrasts the old with the new in its celebration of modern-day traditions and the heritage of the state’s indigenous people. Here, visitors can watch papier maché artists create playful sculptures for Mardi Gras floats while tribal elders perform demonstrations of basketweaving and woodcarving at the Native American Village.
Tickets for the 2008 New Orleans’ Jazz and Heritage Festival range from $25 to $40 per day, depending on the date purchased and the date of the event. To learn more about the festival and purchase tickets, visit the event’s official Web site at www.nojazzfest.com.
Kelly Crow is a public relations major and Spanish minor at the University of Oregon. Her passion for travel has led her to visit some of the world’s top travel destinations, including Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; and New Orleans.
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