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Iko Iko
"Iko Iko" () is a much-covered New Orleans song that tells of a parade collision between two tribes of Mardi Gras Indians and the traditional confrontation. The song, under the original title "Jock-A-Mo", was written and released in 1953 as a single by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford and his Cane Cutters but it failed to make the charts. The song was first made popular in 1965 by the girl group the Dixie Cups, who scored an international hit with "Iko Iko". In 1967, as part of a lawsuit settlement between Crawford and the Dixie Cups, the trio were given part songwriting credit for the song. In 1972, Dr. John had a minor hit with his version of "Iko Iko". In the UK, two competing versions of the song were released in 1982 - one by the all-female group the Belle Stars and the other by Scottish singer Natasha England. While the Belle Stars' version peaked at 35 in the UK, Natasha's version reached the top 10. Cyndi Lauper had also covered the song starting in 1986. However, the Bell ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mardi Gras Indians
The Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians or Black Maskers) are African American Carnival revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, known for their elaborate suits and participation in Mardi Gras. The Mardi Gras Indians subculture emerged during the era of slavery from West African, Afro-Caribbean and Native American cultural practices. The Mardi Gras Indians' tradition is considered part of the African diasporan decorative aesthetic, and is an African-American art form. The Mardi Gras Indian tradition developed as a form of cultural resistance when traditional African religions were banned and Black people could not gather in public or wear masks. Their aesthetic serves as an expression of their culture, religion and spirituality. The tradition of "masking" derives from the West African masquerade ceremony, in which an individual takes on the role of a god or spirit. Some Mardi Gras Indians mask as the Native American allies who shielded their ancestors during slav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford
James "Sugar Boy" Crawford, Jr. (October 12, 1934 – September 15, 2012) was an American R&B musician based in New Orleans. He was the author of "Jock-A-Mo" (1954), which was later rerecorded as "Iko Iko" by the Dixie Cups, and became a huge hit. The song was recorded by many other artists, including Dr. John, Belle Stars, the Grateful Dead, Cyndi Lauper, and (as "Geto Boys") by Glass Candy. Life and career Starting out on trombone, Crawford formed a band, which a local DJ, Doctor Daddy-O, named the Chapaka Shawee ( Creole for "We Aren't Raccoons"), the title of an instrumental that they played. Crawford recalled, "During high school we had a little band, nothing real organized at first. I was back playing piano... The other fellows in the band were Edgar "Big Boy" Myles, Warren Myles, Nolan Blackwell, Irving "Cat" Banister, and Alfred Bernard- just a bunch of youngsters having fun." The group was signed by Chess Records president Leonard Chess and was renamed Sugar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
OffBeat (magazine)
''OffBeat'' is a New Orleans, Louisiana monthly local music magazine founded by Jan V. Ramsey in 1987. The magazine, published by OffBeat, Inc., focuses on the popular music of New Orleans and Louisiana, which is generally New Orleans rhythm and blues, R&B, blues, jazz, rock (music), rock, hip-hop, funk, and many other traditional styles of music popular in Louisiana. ''OffBeat'' was the first magazine in New Orleans to resume publishing after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, despite losing all its staff and its printer. ''OffBeat'' publishes several music festival oriented issues, including the "French Quarter Festival Souvenir Guide" in early April, and the "Jazz Fest Bible," a special New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Jazz Fest issue. These issues contain schedules of local music festivals, detailed information on performers and club listings, and interviews with local musicians. The magazine hosts a local music awards series, "The Best of the Beat Awards", to highlig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry (born Joel Adelberg; April 3, 1938) is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer. Among the most successful songs that he has co-written in his career are " Tell Laura I Love Her" (written with Ben Raleigh and a number 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart when it was recorded by Ricky Valance in 1960), " Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "Da Doo Ron Ron", " Then He Kissed Me", " Be My Baby", " Chapel of Love", and " River Deep - Mountain High" (all written with his then-wife Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector); " Leader of the Pack" (written with Greenwich and Shadow Morton); " Sugar, Sugar" (written with Andy Kim); "Without Us" (written with Tom Scott), and " I Honestly Love You" (written with Peter Allen). Early life Barry was born in Brooklyn to a Jewish family. His parents divorced when he was seven, and his mother moved him and his sister to Plainfield, New Jersey, where they resided for several years before returning to New York. Chart success In 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ellie Greenwich
Eleanor Louise Greenwich (October 23, 1940 – August 26, 2009) was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Da Doo Ron Ron", " Be My Baby", " Maybe I Know", " Then He Kissed Me", " Do Wah Diddy Diddy", " Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", " Hanky Panky", " Chapel of Love", " Leader of the Pack", and " River Deep – Mountain High", among others. Early years Eleanor Louise Greenwich was born in Brooklyn, New York to painter turned electrical engineer William Greenwich, a Catholic, and department store manager (later medical secretary) Rose Baron Greenwich, who was Jewish. Both parents were of Russian descent. She was not raised in either religion. She was reportedly named for Eleanor Roosevelt. Her musical interest was sparked as a child when her parents played music in their home and she listened to artists including Teresa Brewer, The Four Lads and Johnnie Ray, and she learned how to play the accordion at a young age. At age te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Stoller
Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wrote numerous standards for Broadway. Leiber and Stoller found success as the writers of such crossover hit songs as " Hound Dog" (1952) and " Kansas City" (1952). Later in the 1950s, particularly through their work with the Coasters, they created a string of ground-breaking hits—including " Young Blood" (1957), " Searchin'" (1957), "Yakety Yak" (1958), and " Charlie Brown" (1959) — that used the humorous vernacular of teenagers sung in a style that was openly theatrical rather than personal. Leiber and Stoller wrote hits for Elvis Presley, including " Love Me" (1956), " Jailhouse Rock" (1957), " Loving You", " Don't", and " King Creole". They also collaborated with other writers on such songs as " On Broadway", written with Barry ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Bird Records
Red Bird Records was a record label founded by American pop music songwriters Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and George Goldner in 1964. Though often thought of as a " girl-group" label, female-led acts made up only 40% of the artist roster on Red Bird and its associated labels (including Blue Cat Records, Tiger and Daisy). However, female-led acts also accounted for more than 90% of the label's charting records. The label's first release was " Chapel of Love" by the Dixie Cups, which quickly reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, a feat matched later that year by the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack". Eleven of the first 30 singles released by Red Bird reached the Top Forty. History After closing Spark Records (in 1955) and working for Atlantic (1955–1961) then United Artists (1961–1963) and starting Red Bird, Leiber and Stoller brought in George Goldner, a veteran record promoter and former owner of Gee Records, Gone Records and Rama Records. They used the ski ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pitchfork (website)
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres including pop, hip-hop, jazz and metal. ''Pitchfork'' is one of the most influential music publications to have emerged in the internet age. In the 2000s, ''Pitchfork'' distinguished itself from print media through its unusual editorial style, frequent updates and coverage of emerging acts. It was praised as passionate, authentic and unique, but criticized as pretentious, mean-spirited and elitist, playing into stereotypes of the cynical hipster. It is credited with popularizing acts such as Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens. ''Pitchfork'' relocated to Chicago in 1999 and Brooklyn, New York, in 2011. It expanded with projects including the annual Pitchfork Music Festival (launched in Chicago in 2006), the video site ''Pitchf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Minimal Music
Minimal music (also called minimalism)"Minimalism in music has been defined as an aesthetic, a style, and a technique, each of which has been a suitable description of the term at certain points in the development of minimal music. However, two of these definitions of minimalism—aesthetic and style—no longer accurately represent the music that is often given that label." Johnson 1994, 742. is a form of art music or other compositional practice that employs limited or minimal musical materials. Prominent features of minimalist music include repetitive patterns or pulses, steady drones, consonant harmony, and reiteration of musical phrases or smaller units. It may include features such as phase shifting, resulting in what is termed phase music, or process techniques that follow strict rules, usually described as process music. The approach is marked by a non-narrative, non- teleological, and non- representational approach, and calls attention to the activity of listening ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bubblegum Pop
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, that evolved from garage rock, novelty songs, and the Brill Building sound, and which was also defined by its target demographic of preteens and young teenagers. The Archies' 1969 hit " Sugar, Sugar" was a representative example that led to cartoon rock, a short-lived trend of Saturday-morning cartoon series that heavily featured pop rock songs in the bubblegum vein. Producer Jeffry Katz claimed credit for coining "bubblegum", saying that when they discussed their target audience, they decided it was "teenagers, the young kids. And at the time we used to be chewing bubblegum, and my partner and I used to look at it and laugh and say, 'Ah, this is like bubblegum music'." The term was then popularized by their boss, Buddah Records label ex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
