Second line
Encyclopedia
Second line is a tradition in brass band
parade
s in New Orleans, Louisiana
. The "main line" is the main section of the parade, or the members of the actual club with the parading permit;
those who follow the band just to enjoy the music are called the "second line." The second line's style of traditional dance, in which participants walk and sometimes twirl a parasol or handkerchief in the air, is called "second lining." It has been called "the quintessential New Orleans art form — a jazz funeral
without a body."
by slaves given the day off on Sundays. These dances were officially banned for a time because they were deemed threatening to the white inhabitants of the city, and their resurgence in second lining suggests a similar celebration of individual freedom.
The Second Line
– the magazine of the New Orleans jazz club, started in 1950 – took its name from the second lining tradition, which by that time included fans of jazz music, both black and white.
, complete with a traditional second line. Still, second lining remains most common in the New Orleans area.
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
s in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. The "main line" is the main section of the parade, or the members of the actual club with the parading permit;
those who follow the band just to enjoy the music are called the "second line." The second line's style of traditional dance, in which participants walk and sometimes twirl a parasol or handkerchief in the air, is called "second lining." It has been called "the quintessential New Orleans art form — a jazz funeral
Jazz funeral
Jazz funeral is a common name for a funeral tradition with music which developed in New Orleans, Louisiana.The term "jazz funeral" was long in use by observers from elsewhere, but was generally disdained as inappropriate by most New Orleans musicians and practitioners of the tradition...
without a body."
Origins
Some scholars believe that second lining has its origins in traditional West African circle dances, where children formed a periphery circle outside the main circle of adult dancers. The dance was brought by slaves to New Orleans, where it became incorporated into processions, such as funerals, forcing the ring to straighten into a line. Others note the similarity of the steps – exaggerated, loosely coordinated strutting – to dances performed in Congo SquareCongo Square
Congo Square is an open space within Louis Armstrong Park, which is located in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, just across Rampart Street north of the French Quarter. The Tremé neighborhood is famous for its history of African American music....
by slaves given the day off on Sundays. These dances were officially banned for a time because they were deemed threatening to the white inhabitants of the city, and their resurgence in second lining suggests a similar celebration of individual freedom.
The Second Line
The Second Line (magazine)
The Second Line is the official magazine of the New Orleans Jazz Club. Formed in April 1950, the magazine is dedicated to jazz musicians, teachers, and enthusiasts who have attempted to preserve New Orleans jazz music from commercialization....
– the magazine of the New Orleans jazz club, started in 1950 – took its name from the second lining tradition, which by that time included fans of jazz music, both black and white.
Modern second lining
Though originally a New Orleans phenomenon, in recent times the style has spread to other parts of the country. Notably, in April 2011, musicians and dancers in New York City gathered to perform a jazz funeral for Coney IslandConey Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
, complete with a traditional second line. Still, second lining remains most common in the New Orleans area.
External links
- Nick Spitzer, "Rebuilding the 'Land of Dreams:' Expressive Culture and New Orleans' Authentic Future" Southern Spaces, 29 August 2006
- Nick Spitzer, "Love and Death at Second Line" Southern Spaces, 20 February 2004.
- A Jazz Funeral — including pictures of second-liners
- The Jazz Funeral of Tuba Fats — photographs of a jazz funeral
- The New Orleans Jazz Club
- http://www.mardigrasdigest.com/Sec_2ndline/2ndline_history.htm History of the Secondline