Congo Square

It's probably safe to say that New Orleans is most well known for it's influence in the emergence of jazz music. But, since the beginning, New Orleans has had a huge influence on music as a whole. Let's go back a little further into the history of jazz... like before it existed. 

In 1819, Benjamin Latrobe arrived in New Orleans. He had been appointed the task of constructing the city's municipal water system. When acclimating himself with the city, Latrobe heard what he described as the, "most extraordinary noise." In following the noise, Latrobe came upon Congo Square. At the time, this was a grassy plain where African American slaves were permitted to dance and sing on Sundays. Latrobe described the experience like this,

"The music consisted of two drums and a stringed instrument... [one of which was] a cylindrical drum, about one foot in diameter... They made an incredible noise. The most curious instrument, however, was a stringed instrument, which no doubt was imported from Africa. On the top of the finger board was the rude figure of a man in a sitting posture, and two pegs behind him to which the strings were fastened. The body was a calabash. It was played upon by a very little old man, apparently 80 or 90 years old... A Man sang an uncouth song to the dancing which I suppose was in some African language for it was not French, and the Women screamed a detestable burthen on one single note. The allowed amusements of Sundays, have, it seems, perpetuated here those of Africa among its inhabitants (Architect of the Capital)."

As time went on and other cultures began to move into NOLA, so did their own musical styles and instruments. This is how jazz came to be. By the 1890's, new musical styles had been introduced - The first was the music of the Baptist church. Along with that, the blues were introduced. The blues could be about anything — a beautiful woman, a mean boss, the devil himself — but they were always intensely personal, meant to make the listener feel better, not worse — and each performer was expected to tell a story. The blues were considered to go hand-in-hand with the music of the church. Jazz was described as both of these together. The sacred and the secular. Like the city that gave it birth, like the country that would soon embrace it, this new music would always be more than the sum of its parts (Public Broadcasting Service).

This short video goes into a little bit more detail about Congo Square:

("Congo Square")

This is an audio of some early jazz music. Take a listen.

("King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band:- "Dipper Mouth Blues" (1923)")

Works Cited:

Architecht of the Capital. "Benjamin Henry Latrobe." Architect of the Capitol. N.p., 2015. Web. 14 Dec. 2015. <http://www.aoc.gov/architect-of-the-capitol/benjamin-henry-latrobe>.

"Congo Square." YouTube. N.p., 17 Jan. 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv3OU1QBX8E>.

"King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band:- "Dipper Mouth Blues" (1923)." YouTube. N.p., 30 Apr. 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.

Public Broadcasting Service. "JAZZ A Film By Ken Burns: Places Spaces & Changing Faces - New Orleans." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., 2015. Web. 14 Dec. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/jazz/places/places_new_orleans.htm>.

 It was interesting to visit a place that we had researched for our Music Blog.  Louis Armstrong Park/Congo Square was the first time I really felt the city speak to me.  The park released a feeling of free and calm that is difficult to put into words.  While we were there for our first visit, there was the sounds of a man beating a drum and when you turned around to see where the beat was coming from a man was dancing around for a small crowd.  During our tours with Milton, we received a better understanding of the history of jazz music.  While in the park we were able to see that statues of Louie Armstrong and Charles "Buddy" Bolden, both are individuals we discussed in our blog.  He also taught us about jazz funerals and how natives believe that it tradition is important as long as it done properly and respectfully.  Milton really explained the information that we put in our blog in a very interesting way which made us more eager to learn.

Charles "Buddy" Bolden: his statue has three heads due to his mental illness: Schizophrenia 

Statue of Louie Armstrong 

We learned that the reason for the handkerchief over his hand was so other musicians can't see the notes he is playing.