Wild Injuns down in New Orleans (*)
Some characteristics make the Mardi-Gras Indians of New Orleans quite unique : strong Afro-Caribbean musical roots immediately identifiable in their rhythmic patterns (bass drum, congas, cowbell, tambourine…); incorporation of brass jazz; traditional lyrics in Creole French patois; constant call-response between the lead singer and the background vocalists; and last but not least sumptuous costumes as colorful as a party of tropical birds in the jungle.
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| Bo Dollis (left) and Monk Boudreau |
Like the cariocas of Rio de Janeiro who dress in the fanciest home-made costumes and parade amid the samba schools during the Carnival, the New Orleans “Indians” spend the eleven months preceding Mardi-Gras to design and prepare their costume, and repeat their new musical repertoire.
Not all New Orleans “Indian” tribes have produced professional recording and performing groups though. Among the few who did, Bo Dollis & his Wild Magnolias are certainly the most renowned, with a regular backing band that used to feature some of the best local musicians, for example the legendary guitarist Snooks Eaglin.
The Wild Magnolias became quite famous in the 1970s before going down through a low in the 1980s. By the end of the decade New Orleans music promoter and manager Allison Miner, who was working at launching what became the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, decided to re-boost the Magnolias' career, finding tours and festivals bookings for them and leading to the release of their album “I'm Back at Carnival Time !” in 1990. A new horizon opened for the group, materialized by several albums among which “1313 Hoodoo Street” in 1996.
In 2012, Dollis retired, handing his Big Chief title over to his son Gerard aka Bo Jr. who currently leads the tribe. Theodore “Bo” Dollis died in January 2015;
► “I'm Back at Carnival Time !” (1990)
A concentrate of New Orleans sound and rhythms mixing Dixie jazz (“Carnival Time”); the famous “let the good times roll” philosohy (“Bon Ton Roulet”, sic!) with great guitar from Snooks Eaglin; the African rooted percussion of the iconic “Iko Iko”, “Golden Crown” and “Jockomo, Jockomo”; the second line brass band music (here provided by the Rebirth Brass Band featuring trumpet player Kermit Ruffins) on “Shallow Water Oh Mama”, “Tipitina” or “Big Chief”; the New Orleans R'n'B (the funky “I'm Back” with another great piece of guitar from Snooks, the rock'n'rolling “Coconut Milk”); the Caribbean calypso rolling beat (“Meet De Boys On The Battlefront”) reminding that New Orleans is resolutely looking over the Gulf of Mexico towards the Caribbean islands and, beyond, West Africa...
The mighty hoarse voices of Dollis and Boudreaux, and the shouting responses of their musicians, drive this pure carnivalesque album. Fascinating !
As announced by the title, this album is largely influenced by the voodoo (or hoodoo) tradition, an important part of New Orleans culture. Let's remind again how much New Orleans owes to the Caribbean and West African roots of its population.
This voodoo atmosphere is brought by two new musicians. Exit Snooks Eaglin, welcome to the imaginative June Yamagishi on guitar and keyboards, and to Yushi Nobu on keyboards as well, though as can be guessed by their names both are very surprisingly of… Japanese origin !
The album is globally more funky and a bit less devoted to Mardi-Gras traditional music. Besides songs like the calypso and salsa-flavored “Run Joe”, the nice bluesy lament “Angola Bound” (Angola is the name of the sinister Louisiana state penitentiary), the funky “Might Mighty Chief” and “Injuns Here They Come”, the unique New Orleans sound of “Hey Hey”, the Magnolias covered some titles from renowned musicians : Randy Newman's dramatic song “Louisiana” about the great Mississippi flood back in 1927 that suddenly took later a premonitory dark flavor with Katrina, and where Dollis is tearing his throat apart with his amazing vocals; two Dr John numbers, the bewitching “Walk on Gilded Splinters” and a funky version of “Quitters Never Win”; and the irresistible “Voodoo” from the Neville Brothers, played here much faster than on the original.
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| Bo Dollis Jr. |
The music is as luxurious as a jungle full of animal cries. Almost as fascinating as the other album. Yes, the Magnolias Injuns are wild, no doubt about that ! ■
(* ) Chorus line from the Neville Brothers song 'Wild Injuns” from their
1989 album “Yellow Moon”.
Live videos... are better than long speeches
► Short documentaries
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| Center, in the orange costume, Wild Magnolias Big Queen Laurita Dollis |
→ Mardi Gras Indians chants, St Joseph Night, New Orleans, 2015 : https://youtu.be/JkLhy4XKhIo
→ Short French TV report (undated but as the Wild Magnolias are backed by the Rebirth Brass Band, it could well date from the early 1980s) : https://youtu.be/itWUGtJVpbQ
→ The Wild Magnolias out in the streets of New Orleans for Mardi-Gras day : https://youtu.be/VYBOf4EMpVo
→ Video portrait of Wild Magnolias Big Queen Laurita Dollis produced by students at the New Orleans Tulane University : https://youtu.be/GOcpZT7eOao
► Live performances
● HiHo Lounge, Ramparts Street, New Orleans, 2010 :
→ https://youtu.be/ie_gT4q3XDQ
→ https://youtu.be/tzHtlJROxcw
● Jazzfest, New Orleans, 2010 : https://youtu.be/FqxKa_QkhbY
● French Quarter Festival, New Orleans, 2011 : https://youtu.be/DO4o5rVxoFY
● French Quarter Festival, New Orleans, 2012 :
→ https://youtu.be/cAKPqfDfsk8
→ https://youtu.be/lv7rEG8F2PI
→ https://youtu.be/FoKlnCnQmNg
● Tipitina's, New Orleans, 2012 :
→ https://youtu.be/SiPInSevrJk
→ https://youtu.be/-jsZJTjQec4
→ short : https://youtu.be/y1vKFqHOh_Q
→ long : https://youtu.be/SiPInSevrJk
● Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. 2013 : https://youtu.be/5oAf_T93dN4
● Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, 2013 :
→ https://youtu.be/xZRmbFrz2Is
→ “Shoefly Don't Bother Me” : https://youtu.be/T-FJT5rm2bc
→ “Rising Sun” : https://youtu.be/ZASAPJJ_33M
→ Big Chief Monk : https://youtu.be/pzyQEWe4GCI
→ “We Come To Rumble” : https://youtu.be/YFAs2763MmQ
→ “Little Liza Jane” : https://youtu.be/ci-7Cm3rT9U
→ “We Are The Wild Magnolias” : https://youtu.be/Yx7F6vOU_Zw
→ “Shallow Water, Oh Mama” : https://youtu.be/VSMxe5PriCA
→ "Hey Mama/Papa Was A Rolling Stone/Smoke My Peace Pipe" : https://youtu.be/0H83Nad7owQ
→ "Bury The Hatchet” : https://youtu.be/3_Y5v0Fcxw8
● Bo Dollis Jr. & Monk Boudreaux, Louisiana Seafood Festival, New Orleans, 2013 : https://youtu.be/caXT7_1WXYk
● Tribute for Big Chief Bo Dollis, St. Joseph's Day, March 2014 :
→ https://youtu.be/34BGu9KUbKs
→ https://youtu.be/9YcU-SYRPS0
● Louisiana Music Factory, New Orleans , 2015 : https://youtu.be/0xoW7ygs2vI
● Jazz Fest, New Orleans, 2019 : https://youtu.be/ucRb5hi6QfQ
● "Injuns, Here They Come", Congo Square Rhythms Festival, New Orleans, 2019 : https://youtu.be/9V4kCdBSQHo
● The Funky Uncle, New Orleans, 2020 : https://youtu.be/BYiOKlu3dU0?t=80
● New Orleans, 2021 : https://youtu.be/5my9a-e5w4E?t=427
● Tipitina's, New Orleans : 2021 : https://youtu.be/_muFuOeaE-8
● The Funky Uncle, New Orleans, 2020 : https://youtu.be/BYiOKlu3dU0?t=80
● Jazz Museum's, New Orleans, 2022 : https://youtu.be/lvIXqP8eas8
● Ascona, Italy, 2022 : https://youtu.be/fZOYKrbv7mw
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| Bo Dollis Jr. |
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| With the Rebirth Brass Band |
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