CELEBRATING OLD MAN RIVER
By Kim Welsh
On Saturday , July 23 , the New Orleans Jazz Museum ’ s 10th Annual NOLA River Fest will celebrate the cultural , economic , environmental and inspirational contributions of the Mississippi River to the Crescent City . For centuries , Old Man River has been an important route for trade and travel , has sustained livelihoods , offers opportunities for recreation , and has a significant role in the culture , health and livelihoods of people along its long route .
The Mississippi River , the longest river of North America , drains with its major tributaries an area of approximately 1.2 million square miles or about one-eighth of the entire continent . As rich as the literary tradition that grew up along the Mississippi is , the river ’ s musical legacy is arguably even more profound . The music that developed largely has been the product of the cultural cross-pollination of black and white folk music and popular styles , with roots in both West Africa and Europe . Growing from the creations of African American slaves who were prevented from maintaining their native musical traditions and felt the need to improvise homegrown forms of musical expression , jazz evolved in the complex cultural mix of New Orleans and traveled up the river , finding its way to cities north and beyond .
Drum songs , folk songs , blues and jazz were all created and recreated along the Mississippi River ’ s banks . Musicians have been truly prolific not only in the sheer volume of works about the river , but
32 | The French Quarterly