Faubourg Tremé: the Untold Story of Black New Orleans

Jan
17
Submitted by webmaster on Sun, 01/17/2010 - 22:42

Faubourg Tremé: the Untold Story of Black New Orleans

Posted by californianewsreel
November 10, 2008

"New Orleans' unique Faubourg Tremé is arguably the oldest African American neighborhood in the United States. It is the home of jazz but also the birthplace of civil rights in the South. http://www.newsreel.org/nav/title.asp...

" Video Description: This video includes interviews and wonderful vintage film clips of African American children, teens, and adults dancing in New Orleans second line (brass band) parades. I cross-posted this YouTube video on the Focus On section of jambalayah's sister website http://cocojams.com

See another jambalayah.com featured video on New Orleans brass bands: http://www.jambalayah.com/node/14

6 comments

webmaster
Mon, 18 January, 2010 - 09:41

Here's another video from BigRedCotton of a female Social Aide & Pleasure Club and onlookers doing second lining:
 

Women of Class 2009 Second Line Parade- The Sidewalk Masters Masters (with the Hot 8 Brass Band)

Posted by BigRedCotton
November 17, 2009
"Women of Class SA&PC 2009 Second Line Parade featuring the Hot 8 Brass Band and a side of some of the best random second line dancing you'll ever see - MASTERS!"

Video Description: A New Orleans brass band accompanies demonstratiions of second line dancing (buck jumping) by members of Orleans Social Aide & Pleasure Club and onlookers.

**

Special thanks to BigRedCotton for sharing so many videos on New Orleand brass bands and second lining on YouTube!

webmaster
Mon, 18 January, 2010 - 09:11

Here's a video of a female New Orleans Social Aide & Pleasure Club, the Versatile Ladies of Style. Note how the members and the onlookers "second line" (meaning "perform strutting & dance movements associated with New Orleans, Louisiana second line parades")

 

Versatile Ladies of Style

Posted by BigRedCotton
November 09, 2009

Video Description:
A female second line club and a brass band parade down a city street. Some onlookers follow the parade and dance second line on the sidewalk.

To date, the only YouTube viewer comment (beside mine) is
blazeke (2 months ago) Great Job Free Agents Brass Band

-snip-
My comment compliments both the brass band and the female second liners. I also wondered what the meaning is of the baskets that the women are carrying.

It occurs to me that theu look like Easter baskets. It also occurs to me that those decorated baskets look like the incense urns? that are carried by Catholics during their services, and the decorated staffs may also be associated with the staff carried by Catholic priests.  (I'm just guessing here, and my lack of knowledge about Catholic services probably shows).

webmaster
Mon, 18 January, 2010 - 08:47

Here's an excerpt from a very informative article about New Orleans Social Aide & Pleasure Clubs and "Second Lines":

http://www.mardigrasdigest.com/Sec_2ndline/2ndline_history.htm

 A Main Line is the "main section or the members of the actual club, that has the permit to parade. The parades consist of a larger element of fans and the curious following that section of members .Those fans, admirers and curious are the "second line" or part two of this planned street parade. These parades have come to be called and known by this fact.
 
Normally called, "Second Lines", the sponsoring element is called the "Main Line" and is usually a Social (Aide) & Pleasure Club of the neighborhood in which they are parading. By state and city ordinances and law, very seldom does these parades take up routes on heavily traffic laden thoroughfares in the city. Most are held in the back areas, visiting the stops that help the clubs to continue the tradition...
The Social Aide & Pleasure Club tradition is a mixture of African traditions that came together to form one of the most unique forms of celebration in the united States. The tradition's history, however, dates back to the tribes in western Africa…

[Historically, in New Orleans, the clubs acted as insurance companies. Members paid weekly dues to ensure a proper burial]
 

Several S&P Clubs, that were founded before and shortly after the turn of the century, are still around today. The Young Men Olympians, was formed in 1884, the Zulu’s in 1909, and the Prince of Wales in 1928.
Over time, these organizations were phased out of the "business of helping others", by the influx, and more heavily advertised companies of the "Insurance Industry" into the metro area. In 1978, there were only 6 to 10 clubs of this nature on the books and parading in the neighborhood streets of New Orleans, Louisiana.
 
The S&P Clubs are today, a mere shadow of their former selves, and known not as the fore runners of the insurance industry in Louisiana, but as the, "Keepers of the Second Line Tradition." Grand Marshal's are now the exception and no longer the rule. There are female and male only clubs, as well as mixed organizations that even include white members, as well...
 
The noun second line (n), is also the name of a "unique dance", performed to the beat of New Orleans’ traditional jazz. The dance is an evolved version of an old African dance known as the, "Bambula".
Each year, club members will choose a color scheme, then set about to assemble or make new suits and host their annual second line parade. With names like the "Jolly Bunch", "Money Wasters," "Lady Buck Jumpers", and the "Golden Trumpets," the S&P Clubs played a vital role in the community during the legalized segregation that created an entertaining counterpart to Mardi Gras.
 
During the 1980's, more clubs began to be formed for the sole purposes of "parading" and not for the "social aid" aspect. A new wrinkle had been born in the culture. The club's purpose was not to render aid for burial, but to be the actual social fabric, the bonding agent as it were, of the members, to the community...
-snip-

For those interested in African American history, and the history of dance, and other related subjects, this entire article is well worth the read. I quoted so extensively about S&P clubs and second lining because this information is not easily found online. 

From reading this article, it appears that "buck dancing" is a form of  second lining or perhaps is the same thing as second lining (the dance).

I encourage those who are familiar with these topics to share information and corrections to this page by contacting me at jambalayah17@yahoo.com 
 

webmaster
Mon, 18 January, 2010 - 00:44
See this definition of "buck jumping":
buck jump
intr.v. buck·jumped, buck·jump·ing, buck·jumps
1. To buck, as a horse or mule does.
2. To move in sudden jerks; lurch.

**

The earliest form of "buck jumping" (buck dancing) in the United States was probably the dance called the "buck and a wing". See http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3buckw1.htm for information about this very old African American dance.
 
It just occured to me that the R&B dance "The Huckle-Buck" is probably related to the buck & wing dances.

Here's an excerpt of the lyrics of a song called "The Hucklebuck" that was recorded in 1968 by Otis Redding. (I don't know if this is the same song as the one that was written in 1949 by Tommy Dorsey and recorded that year by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra).

...Huckle Buck y’all
Everybody Huckle Bucking
If you don’t know, you’re sure out of luck
I tell you what we do…
We’re going to Chicago
We’re going to the Windy City, they call it
Going to do the Huckle-Buck now
Everybody’s Bucking now
Mamas, brothers, sisters, fathers—they Huckle Bucking all night
We got a thing going
You jump back, you jump forward, you jump back-back-back-back
Let me show you how to do it
Jump back, jump up, jump back, jump up-up-up-up

[ The Huckle-Buck Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/  ]

 

webmaster
Mon, 18 January, 2010 - 00:14

Here's a video of contemporary a men's group in New Orleans doing "buck jumping" :

Sudan 2008 Second Line featuring Rebirth

Posted BigRedCotton
December 03, 2008
"Buckjumping at it's best! Sixth Ward."
 
**
Here's the comment that I wrote on that YouTube viewer thread (since someone had previously commented about the second line group's name)
"Sudan Social Aid And Pleasure Club" is a New Orleans African American club.

"Buck jumping" may be the same as "buck dancing". Wikipdeia indicates that "buck dancing was the earliest combination of the basic shuffle and tap steps performed to syncopated rhythms in which the accents are placed not on the straight beat, as with the jigs, clogs, and other dances of European origin, but on the downbeat or offbeat, a style derived primarily from the rhythms of African tribal music."

(I very much prefer the word "ethnic" to "tribal" but used the quote as I found it).

"Rebirth" is the name of the brass band.

webmaster
Mon, 18 January, 2010 - 00:07

More on "buck dancing" from 

http://www.iefit.com/Dance/clogging.htm

“Buck dancing differs from clogging in several ways yet can be combined with clogging to enhance your clogging repertoire and skill. Buck dancing emphasizes percussive rhythms with a greater use of the heel and toe. The style uses a greater bent leg position that distinguishes it from "shuffle" clogging...

Constant shuffling of the "floor" foot is one of the major characteristics that distinguishes clogging from tap dancing. Flatfoot dancing is largely based on a low-to-the-floor style that emphasizes intricate rhythms and creative percussive dancing. Buck dancing emphasizes percussive rhythms with a greater use of the heel and toe. The style uses a greater bent leg position that distinguishes it from "shuffle" clogging."...

Note:  The instructor in the clogging/buck dance videos that are being marketed on this page is Steve Smith, a White male who is described as national & international instructor and mutliple award winning clogger. I mention this because it may be possible that "buck dancing" among Anglo-Americans is different than "buck dancing" among African Americas. 

Disclaimer:  I’ve not seen these videos and am not endorsing these products. I have no affiliation with or knowledge beyond this summary of the producer of these videos or with the instructor.

My intention is simply to share information about buck dancing that is posted on that page.

 

 

 

 

 

LLsecond lining" and New Orleans Social & Pleasure Clubs:

 

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