New Orleans was founded by the French in the year 1718. In addition to the French administrators and soldiers the population first consisted of convicts and prostitutes, who were either forced or enticed to move to this new settlement on the banks of Mississippi. Slaves came a little later.   Even from the earliest time the city had a reputation for a very unrestrained life style and all sort of vice took place there and even to this day New Orleans is considered by many Americans as a wild party-town. At Buddy Bolden’s time there lived about 300,000 people in New Orleans, 75.000 of them were blacks or mulattos. Unlike other big cities in the South States New Orleans had work to offer, especially in the port, then America’s biggest. But the work was hard and only the strongest could endure. So the blacks got the jobs and income, and the money seeped out among others for entertainment in the many small dance halls. Buddy Bolden was “king” in those places and in his heyday made his money there.

Music was played by slaves with primitive instruments right back from the early days in New Orleans at a place called Congo Square. That is where Armstrong Park is today. The music and dances were a huge tourist attraction, but ended when the Civil War started. Why jazz had its birthplace in New Orleans is not an easy question, and some even refute it. Undeniably the music benefitted by the dissolving of the Confederate Military orchestras taking place in New Orleans with, as a consequence, cheap instruments were available. In New Orleans furthermore there was an audience who were able and willing to pay for being entertained by the new exciting music we know today as jazz.

 

New Orleans

New Orleans blev grundlagt af franskmændene i år 1718. Udover franske administratorer og soldater bestod befolkningen i begyndelsen af straffefanger og prostituerede, som enten var tvunget eller opmuntret til at bosætte sig i den ny bebyggelse ved Mississippis bredder. Slaver kom først lidt senere. Helt tilbage fra den tidligste tid, havde byen ry for en meget tøjlesløs livsstil, og alle former for laster fandtes her, og selv i dag er New Orleans af mange amerikanere betragtet som en festgal by. På Buddy Boldens tid levede der ca. 300.000 mennesker i byen, heraf var 75.000 enten sorte eller mulatter. I modsætning til andre store byer i Sydstaterne, var der arbejde at få, specielt i havnen, som på det tidspunkt var Amerikas største. Men arbejdet var hårdt og kun de allerstærkeste kunne klare det.Det kunne de sorte, og de fik arbejdet og indtægterne. Pengene sivede videre ud, bl.a. til underholdning i de mange små dansehaller. I sin storhedstid var Buddy Bolden konge dér.

 Slaverne spillede musik på primitive instrumenter, helt tilbage fra byens grundlæggelse på en plads, der hed Congo Square. Der ligger Armstrong Park i dag. Musikken og dansen var en stor turistattraktion, men det sluttede, da borgerkrigen begyndte. Hvorfor jazzen blev født i New Orleans, er ikke et let spørgsmål at besvare, og nogle betvivler det endog. Uden tvivl gavnede det musikken, at adskillige militærorkestre blev opløst her efter borgerkrigen, hvorefter marskandiserbutikkerne bugnede af billige instrumenter. I New Orleans var der tilmed et publikum, som var i stand til og villig til at betale for at nyde den nye spændende musik, som vi i dag kalder jazz.

 

Photo: Peter Nissen