Join before December 31, 2009 and be entered to win a festival lovers dream package
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA (November 4, 2009) – French Quarter Festivals, Inc (FQFI) is proud to announce the inception of its new membership program, the ‘Fest Family’. Fest Family memberships were developed to provide festival-goers with a true ‘insiders’ experience and to ensure a strong future for French Quarter Festivals, Inc. Fest Family memberships provide essential funding for these free community festivals and events, which employ musicians and artists, impact young generations of performers, preserve our unique culture and heritage, attract visitors, and add to the quality of life in the community.
All ‘Fest Family’ members enrolled by January 1, 2010 will be entered to win, a weekend at the Royal Sonesta in the Presidential Suite for French Quarter Fest 2010 or two round trip tickets on Continental Airlines!
Contributions at each and every level will directly benefit the organization and provide greatly needed assistance, allowing the organization to maintain these high quality events and continue the celebration of New Orleans’ unique culture and heritage. Membership levels were designed to appeal to individual partners as well as to larger corporate sponsors. Levels are categorized with a uniquely ‘French Quarter feel’, with names such as “Chartres Member”, Bourbon Street, Woldenberg Park, and Jackson Square levels, and include uniquely FQFI benefits such as tickets to the French Quarter Festival Kick-off party, passes to the invitation-only Satchmo SummerFest opening reception, festival posters and merchandise, and access to VIP hospitality areas during French Quarter Festival. Ranging from $35 to $1,000, memberships are structured to fit all budgets.
Members ARE the festival, and an integral part of the FQFI family. The French Quarter Festival family has been together for 26 years and continues to grow. The ‘Fest Family’ will ensure that FQFI can produce FREE events for years to come along with the support from our sponsors, as well as beverage and merchandise sales. Since is inception in 1984, French Quarter Festival, has grown from the ‘locals festival’ to the “Largest FREE Music Festival in the South”. Throughout the years, other FREE events have been added to the cultural calendar produced by French Quarter Festivals, Inc., (FQFI) including Satchmo SummerFest and Christmas New Orleans Style. All of this has been made possible by the dedication of supporters.
French Quarter Festivals, Inc. takes great pride in the community and supports local industry by hiring only local contractors (stage/sound/booths, etc.) – all money, earned and spent, stays within the state of Louisiana. FQFI events directly impact the New Orleans economy and local retailers, restaurants, and hotels rely on festival weekends. Additional support is needed to help build for the future and continue producing the best festivals, family activities, and live LOCAL music.
For more information, or to become a member call Heather Twichell, Development Manager at 504.522.5730 or heather@fqfi.org.
August 4, 2009 (Louis Armstrong’s Birthday), New Orleans, Louisiana – French Quarter Festivals, Incorporated (FQFI) closed the ninth annual Satchmo SummerFest on August 2nd at Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint in the French Quarter. The 2009 festival was made possible by support from the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, under the leadership of Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu.
This year’s attendance figures indicate that over 26,000 festival-goers gathered together to pay tribute to the life, legacy and music of Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong as well as to immerse themselves in the culture, food, music, and everything that New Orleans has to offer. Even with early afternoon rain on Saturday and Sunday, the attendance numbers mirrored those of the 2008 festival. French Quarter Festivals, Inc. organizers have already started planning the 10th anniversary celebration, which will take place August 5 – 8, 2010.
With the success of this year’s festival, it is evident that Satchmo SummerFest has become a cherished event for locals and visitors, including a great number of international travelers. This year’s festival featured three stages of music throughout the grounds of the Louisiana State Old US Mint which included genres such as traditional jazz, contemporary jazz, and brass bands.
Much of the success of this year’s Satchmo SummerFest can be attributed to the uniquely New Orleans events that took place during the festival weekend. Beginning with the Satchmo Art show on Wednesday, incredible crowds were seen at all events. Over one hundred attendees gathered in Armstrong Park to celebrate at the Satchmo Birthday Party. On Sunday, patrons packed into St. Augustine Church to participate in the heralded Jazz Mass where, upon conclusion, crowds flocked into the streets to join in the second-line parade to the festival. With the closing of another successful festival it is clear that Satchmo’s influence, as an artist and cultural icon, is universal, unmatched, and very much alive today.
Happy Birthday Satchmo!
Satchmo SummerFest is scheduled annually to coincide with Armstrong’s actual birthday on
August 4th. Armstrong often stated in public interviews that he was born on July 4, 1900 (Independence Day in the USA), a date that has been noted in many biographies. Armstrong died in 1971. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that his true birth date of August 4, 1901 was discovered.
About Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong was born in a poor section of New Orleans known as “the Battlefield” or ‘Back o’ Town’. Throughout his career, he entertained millions – from heads of state and royalty to the kids on his stoop in Corona, New York. Despite his fame, he lived a simple life in a working-class neighborhood. The man known around the world as ‘Satchmo’ was widely recognized as a founding father of jazz – a uniquely American art form. Armstrong was a charismatic, innovative performer whose improvised soloing was the main influence for a fundamental change in jazz. One of the most famous musicians of the 20th century, he was first known as a cornet player, then as a trumpet player, and toward the end of his career he was best known as a vocalist and influential jazz singers. The nickname ‘Satchmo’ is short for ‘Satchelmouth’. In 1932, Melody Maker magazine editor Percy Brooks greeted Armstrong in London with “Hello, Satchmo!” and the nickname stuck.
Sponsors and Community Partners for the 9th annual Satchmo SummerFest include: The State of Louisiana – Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Abita Brewing Company, Louisiana State Museum, French Market Corporation, Louis Armstrong International Airport , Higher Ground Relief Fund, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Rhodes Funeral Home, BMI, WWL-TV, nola.com, offBeat Magazine, Where Y’At Magazine, Marriott New Orleans, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, New Orleans Jazz National Park, Hard Rock Café, Harrah’s New Orleans, Bernard Productions, Rouses, Lousiana Association for the Education of Young Children, Target, NOLA Box Company, New Orleans Levee, WWOZ, NewOrleans.com, New Orleans Jazz Centennial Celebration, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, North Rampart Main Street, Inc., Aidan Gill for Men, and the Contemporary Art Center (CAC).
For more information on all FQFI festivals and events, call 504-522-5730 or visit online at www.fqfi.org.
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana State Museum and the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club present From Tramps to Kings:Zulu 100 Years, a yearlong exhibit exploring the origins, unique Carnival traditions, and cultural and civic contributions of Zulu from 1909 to the present.
From Tramps to Kings features more than 100 seldom-seen treasures loaned by Zulu members, as well as artifacts from the Museum, the Historic New Orleans Collection, Tulane University, and other sources.
The exhibit opened in January and will run through December 31, 2009 at the Presbytere, New Orleans.
“We’re delighted to work with the Zulu organization to share their century-old traditions of fun and fantasy,” said Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, whose office directs Louisiana’s Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. “This exhibit is a Mardi Gras season ‘must-see’ for visitors and locals alike.”
Highlights of the show include a ballroom tableau of 14 former Zulu Kings and Queens in bejeweled costumes and elaborate headdresses, and all seven of Zulu’s comic parade characters including the Big Shot of Africa, the Witch Doctor, and the Ambassador. The origins and development of these trademark figures are explored in photographs and personal memorabilia.
Also featured are rare sound recordings and a personal letter by Louis Armstrong describing his historic reign as Zulu King in 1949. “We really did pitch a boogie woogie,” Armstrong wrote of his experience to a New Orleans newspaper reporter in 1952.
But Tramps to Kings is not all-exuberant fun. The exhibit presents Zulu’s history in parallel with the wider struggle by the city’s African-Americans against discrimination. A turning point came in 1969 when Zulu won permission from the city of New Orleans to parade on Canal Street, formerly reserved for white krewes.
“Zulu is more than a revelry and comic characters. It has a special place in New Orleans’ history and the African-American experience,” said Ike Campbell, Chairman of Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club.
A yearlong program of family-oriented special events and a monthly lecture series enhances the museum experience. Zulu members will share traditions like coconut decorating.
Visitors can also see the exhibit online and get updated information on special events at www.trampstokings.com.
The exhibit is presented with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor; the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism; the Louisiana State Museum Foundation; the Friends of the Cabildo, and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.
Tickets are $6.00 for adults, and $5.00 for seniors and active military personnel and include admission to the Museum’s comprehensive permanent exhibit, Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Children under 12 are free.
The Presbytere is located on Jackson Square, in the heart of the French Quarter.
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The Louisiana State Museum, a complex of national landmarks housing thousands of artifacts and works of art reflecting Louisiana’s legacy of historic events and cultural diversity, is part of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, which is overseen by Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu. The Museum network includes five properties in New Orleans’ French Quarter: the Cabildo, Presbytere, 1850 House, Old U.S. Mint and Madame John’s Legacy. Other sites include museums in Baton Rouge, Natchitoches, Patterson and Thibodaux.
For more information about the Louisiana State Museum please call 800.568.6968 or visit http://lsm.crt.state.la.us.
NEW ORLEANS – Unsung Heroes: The Secret History of Louisiana Rock ’n’ Roll, an idiosyncratic sampling of great stuff from the golden ages of rhythm and blues, rock ’n’ roll, rockabilly, pop, and soul, will open April 27 at the historic Cabildo on Jackson Square.
Presented by the Louisiana State Museum and the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation, the exhibit is a major addition to the Foundation’s annual conference on American roots music, April 27 through 29, also at the Cabildo.
The two-day Ponderosa Stomp Music Festival of live music performances opens the following evening, April 28, at the House of Blues.
Unsung Heroes was co-curated by Dr. Ira “Dr. Ike” Padnos, a New Orleans physician who founded the festival in 2001 to celebrate the contributions of pioneering artists from the late 1940s onward, and will include many items from his personal collection.
Among the show’s highlights are Clifton Chenier’s royal crown; James Black’s drum set; Fats Domino’s piano; Louisiana blues legend Lazy Lester’s harmonicas; Earl Palmer’s drum; Dave Bartholomew’s trumpet; a Shirley & Lee concert poster from 1955; a sign from Famer Cosimo Matassa’s historic J&M Record Studio (where Fats Domino, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Dr. John, and others cut groundbreaking sides) and a sampling of rare 45 and 78 rpm records.
Rock n’ roll secrets, page 2
The Ponderosa Stomp Music Foundation’s conference will feature two days of interviews with rock ’n’ roll legends like Dale Hawkins and Cowboy Jack Clement, panel discussions, and a film series. The foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to “celebrating the legacy, revitalizing the careers and preserving the history of the architects of American music.” For program information, visit http://PonderosaStompFoundation.org
Founded in 1906, the Louisiana State Museum collects, preserves and interprets Louisiana’s rich cultural heritage from pre-historic times to the present through more than 450,000 objects and works of art. The Museum is part of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, which is overseen by Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu. For more information, visit http://lsm.crt.state.la.us.
New Orleans, Louisiana – French Quarter Festivals, Incorporated (FQFI) will celebrate the ninth annual Satchmo SummerFest July 30th through August 2nd at Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint in the French Quarter. This free family-friendly Jazz Festival is dedicated to the life, music and legacy of New Orleans’ native son, Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong.
Live, Local Music and Family Activities
Two stages of music on the grounds of the Mint, and one indoor stage will feature traditional jazz, contemporary jazz, and brass bands. Indoor children’s activities include collage art projects, Zulu coconut and second-line umbrella decorating, a daily children’s second line parade and more. In addition, screenings of Armstrong animations and family friendly films in which he appeared will be shown inside the Old U.S. Mint.
Inside the Mint, an impressive array of speakers will host seminars, discussions, music, and movies. Presenters include Professor Robert O’Meally of Columbia University; George Avakian – Armstrong’s record producer and friend; Michael Cogswell of the Armstrong House and Archives; noted Armstrong scholar and Grammy award winner Dan Morgenstern; writer and Armstrong film collector Ricky Riccardi; and Yoshio Toyama, aka “Satchmo of Japan”, who will also perform with his Dixie Saints on the Traditional Jazz Stage.
Satchmo SummerFest Keynote Speaker, Professor Robert O’Meally of Columbia University, will speak on Thursday, July 30 at 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint, 2nd floor. This event is free and open to the public.
In honor of Satchmo SummerFest, the Louisiana State Museum has brought in a photo exhibit to the Old U.S. Mint. ‘Jam Session: America’s Jazz Ambassadors Embrace the World’ http://www.meridian.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=240&Itemid=153 will be exhibited in the Old during Satchmo Summerfest – free and open to the public. It contains 100 photographs along with narrative, from a time when the U.S. State Department sent famous jazz musicians (including Louis Armstrong, Dizzie Gillespie, Benny Goodman, and other greats) all over the world to act as ambassadors for the United States.
Happy Birthday Satchmo!
Satchmo SummerFest is scheduled annually to coincide with Armstrong’s actual birthday on August 4th. Armstrong often stated in public interviews that he was born on July 4, 1900 (Independence Day in the USA), a date that has been noted in many biographies. Armstrong died in 1971. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that his true birth date of August 4, 1901 was discovered.
Merchandise including limited edition prints by Jackson Square artist, Stuart South, as well as books, Satchmo SummerFest t-shirts, and merchandise, will be available for sale at the festival and online. More than 25 food and beverage booths will be open at the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint and will feature authentic local cuisine, drinks, Abita beer, and Plum Street Snowballs to create “Red Bean Alley.”
Sponsors and Community Partners for the 9th annual Satchmo SummerFest include: The State of Louisiana – Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Abita Brewing Company, Louisiana State Museum, Louis Armstrong International Airport , Higher Ground Relief Fund, WWL-TV, nola.com, offBeat Magazine, Where Y’at Magazine, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, New Orleans Jazz National Park, New Orleans Levee, WWOZ, NewOrleans.com, New Orleans Jazz Centennial Celebration, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, North Rampart Main Street, Inc., Aidan Gill for Men, the Contemporary Art Center (CAC), and Young Leadership Council.
NEW ORLEANS – April 17, 18 and 19, 2009, marked the 26th anniversary and a record year for French Quarter Festival. This year’s attendance figures indicate that more than 441,000* festival-goers enjoyed the music, food, special events and of course, the historic French Quarter. Visitors and locals alike enjoyed a unique weekend that only New Orleans can deliver.
This award-winning festival, which began in 1984, has grown to become the largest free music festival in the South. Seventeen stages throughout the French Quarter presented the best in New Orleans music, representing every genre from traditional and contemporary jazz to R & B and New Orleans funk, brass bands, folk, gospel, classical, opera, Cajun Zydeco, Latin World, International, as well as musical stages for children. Over 90 food and beverage booths located in Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park and the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint made up the “World’s Largest Jazz Brunch,” a signature event, featuring authentic local cuisine from renowned area restaurants, many of whom have been with the Festival its entire 26 years. Record sales were recorded by both food and beverage vendors.
While planning the 2009 festival, FQFI officials reevaluated the festival’s footprint and made changes to allow for better crowd flow and enjoyment. Executive Director Marci Schramm noted, “From what we observed and heard in the days following the festival, the changes proved successful.” She also noted that French Quarter Festivals, Inc. is continually working to make the event better for all attendees.
Festival-goers attended special events throughout the three-day weekend, including over 1,000 guests at the Thursday night kickoff party: ‘TGIF’ – Thank Goodness it’s Festival! – at Pat O’Briens. French Quarter Festival opened Friday with an official second-line parade, music starting at 11 a.m., historic courtyard tours, and a Pirate’s Alley Art Show. Saturday activities continued with the Acme World Championship Oyster Eating Contest, the International Music Colloquium, and Battle of the Bands. Sunday’s ‘Dancing at Dusk’ grew in popularity as dancers filled the 400 block of Royal Street and beyond.
French Quarter Festival 2009 was sponsored by Abita Brewing Company, Harrah’s Foundation, Southern Comfort, Fetzer, Music Performance Fund, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, WWL TV-4, Rouses Market, Entergy Foundation, Coca-Cola, Whole Foods, Crystal Hot Sauce/Baumer Foods, nola.com, French Market Corporation, JazzAscona, OffBeat Magazine, Pat O’Briens, Hard Rock Cafe, CapitalOne Bank, Where Y’at Magazine, Community Coffee, Continental Airlines, Cox Business, Louisiana Lottery, Whitney Bank, Onsite Guardian, The Court of Two Sisters, Tulane Medical Center, Musical Legends Park, The Transportation Revolution – Vespa New Orleans, Acme Oyster House, neworleansrestaurants.com, WWL WWOZ 90.7FM, WWNO 89.9 FM, and Clear Channel Radio.
The event was produced by French Quarter Festivals, Inc., (FQFI) the 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, which also produces Satchmo SummerFest in August and Christmas New Orleans Style in December. For more information about any of these events, call (504) 522-5730 or visit www.fqfi.org.
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French Quarter Festival measures its success in many ways…
Attendance:
2008 – 435,000 people
2009 – 441,000 people
Abita:
2009 – 748 kegs – a 5% increase over 2008 sales of Abita beer.
Southern Comfort:
Final numbers not in yet, but Saturday afternoon it was reported that the number of product consumed was already at the level of entire festival sales for 2008.
Rouses Crawfish Boil:
In this first year event, 15,000-20,000 pounds of crawfish were boiled and consumed over three days during the ‘Rouses Crawfish Boil’ at the Old U.S. Mint.
Vaucresson Sausage:
2008 – 115,000 pounds of hot and crawfish sausage
2009 – 117,000 pounds of hot and crawfish sausage
