“You will see the restored statue of Louis Armstrong, toe and all,” Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced today at a ribbon cutting ceremony to reopen Armstrong Park. The damaging of the Armstrong statue in Armstrong Park was the final indignity in Ray Nagin’s hurried last act – the installation of a sculpture garden. When he officially [...]
Tag Archives: Congo Square
November 2011 Letters
November 1, 2011 – 12:01 am
REMOVE THE FENCE We enjoyed the free concert in Lafayette Square and went to Rock ’n’ Bowl, Blue Nile, Funky Pirate and some clubs on Bourbon Street. We stopped off briefly in Armstrong Park on September 24 in the daytime. We have been there many years ago and I wanted again to look at Congo [...]
Congo Square Comes to NOMA Tonight
July 15, 2011 – 10:33 am
“At least we’ve got this place,” says Luther Gray, founder of the Congo Square Foundation, and leader of the dance and music ensemble, Bamboula 2000. “It’s a place we can all claim as ours.” Congo Square in Armstrong Park is the epicenter of African culture in New Orleans, which is why local artists and musicians [...]
Radiators Rule Second Weekend of Fest
May 4, 2011 – 4:29 pm
I truly enjoyed my first Jazz Fest weekend. The highlights were, of course, the weather being so wonderful throughout. My favorite day was Saturday, though. When I got to the Fest, I was hot and thirsty, so I immediately headed to the WWOZ Mango Freeze booth near the Fais Do Do Stage, picked up my freeze, [...]
Jazz Fest Posters Unveiled
February 15, 2011 – 5:10 pm
Garland Robinette isn’t just a newsman or a radio talk show host; he’s a painter, and this year’s Jazz Fest poster featuring Jimmy Buffett is his handiwork. This year’s Congo Square poster hearkens back to the festival’s poster from 1976. Both focus on parade Grand Marshal “Fats” Houston; this year’s is by Ninth Ward artist [...]
YouTube du Jour: Teena Marie
December 27, 2010 – 7:40 am
We’re saddened to hear of the death of Teena Marie, who died yesterday of natural causes at age 54. Teena Marie played Jazz Fest this year after the release of her album, Congo Square (when she was interviewed for OffBeat by Holly Gleason), and she’s a veteran of numerous Essence Music Festivals. Her passing has [...]
Show Your Work at Jazz Fest
October 15, 2010 – 2:35 pm
UPDATED Early birds, make some coffee. Tonight at midnight, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell will start taking applications from those who wish to show in its craft areas during the 2011 festival. To apply: Go to NOJazzFest.com and click on “Crafts” or go directly to Zapplication.org. When you apply, you’ll [...]
Congo Square comes to Congo Square Friday
May 27, 2010 – 12:04 am
As one of his last official acts as mayor, Ray Nagin presided over the opening of the sculpture garden in Armstrong Park. Unfortunately, some pieces had to be mounted on makeshift stands because the permanent bases weren’t ready, and some sculptures weren’t ready to be presented. On Friday, one of the absent pieces will be [...]
Teena Marie: Another Bit of Square Biz
May 1, 2010 – 12:14 am
I remember the first time I went there,” recalls soul/ funk pioneer Teena Marie of her earliest engagement with New Orleans. “All I could think was, ‘Why does it feel like I’ve been here before?’ Something in the air felt—I was connected to the air, and the people, the food. Everything. And I didn’t know [...]
Congo Square Poster Unveiled
February 24, 2010 – 10:38 am
Earlier, Jazz Fest revealed this year’s poster, a portrait of Louis Prima by singer Tony Bennett. Now, they’ve released the image of Terrance Osborne’s Congo Square poster – a tribute to Uncle Lionel Batiste. Here’s a first look: Comments?
