New Orleans

New Orleans was, as you know, a French territory. Ever since New Orleans has always been a bit different from most other cities. It is a city surrounded by swamps and Mississippi, and flooding is very common. They had to find a different way to bury dead people. In some parts of the city, it is impossible to bury the dead in European way : So they created their own way to bury! Tombs were raised above ground level, and with the heat, bodies decompose very quickly, only the bones remain. These would then be pushed into a pit that was placed at the back of the tomb, creating space for more bodies to be placed in the tomb. New Orleans tradition of the funeral procession grew in the 19th century. The family and friends of the dead walked from the house of the deceased to the cemetery behind a band that would play traditional music. It was commonly gloomy and serious music. But, after the ceremony, the mood changed ! The band led the procession back to the house playing much happier music, including popular songs of time. When jazz became popular in the early 1900s, this music was used during funerals, and we will see later why. Also, the musicians, funeral directors, family, and friends of the dead make up what is called the first or main line, while the crowd marching behind is collectively known as the second line. At some point in the late nineteenth century, the second line detached from the jazz funeral and developed its own identity. Now, they are organized by social aids and pleasure club, which help the poorest families to bury their dead. These clubs that organized funeral jazz after Hurricane Katrina.

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