Scan the schedule for this year’s Voodoo Festival. I’ll bet you two drinks you’ve never heard of the artist who opens Friday on the Le Plur stage.

Because Hello Negro is a phantom.

"If you've worked in New Orleans music, you're probably familiar with the man behind the moniker. A respected piano player and cultural organizer, he appears at Voodoo under a cloud of intrigue. He's a bit mystified himself, actually."

“I actually don’t know what it is,” he laughs. We’re at Tivoli & Le...